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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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THE EXTENT OF SALVATION: 



A TREATISE 



SHOWING THE COMPATIBILITY OF A 



STATE OF PUNISHMENT BEYOND THE GRAVE 



WITH 



UNIVERSAL SALVATION 



v< V 



BY 



T. G. RUTHERFORD. 



M 




PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. 

1846. 



0X^41 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1846, by 

T. G. RUTHERFORD, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania. 



£ c ) &l 3 



PREFACE. 



The design of this volume is to show forth the consistency of 
scripture truth. Although it will be found to conflict with the va- 
rious systems of theology generally received in our day, yet it is 
hoped, that this fact will not influence the judgment of the Church 
for or against its merits, until they have been carefully and prayer- 
fully considered. One of the deadliest shafts of infidelity against 
the inspiration of the volume of Divine truth, is wielded under the 
assumption, that it contradicts itself — and against Christianity in 
general; that its advocates are so divided in sentiment and belief, 
even on those doctrines which are considered as essential to vital 
religion. Although the inspiration of the sacred scriptures has been 
fully attested by noble champions in the Church of Christ; yet it 
cannot be denied, that infidelity has had, for reasons above inti- 
mated, the power, not only of weakening the Church within, but 
also of greatly retarding the missionary of the cross in his efforts to 
tell of a Saviour's love to a world lying in wickedness. If what is 
set forth in this volume is a true exposition of the word of God, it 
will be found that doctrines, apparently conflicting, when rightly 
viewed, perfectly harmonise. — It will take from the hand of infi- 
delity that weapon which has done more evil in these latter times, 
than all other instrumentalities of Satan. It will have a tendency to 
promote such an alliance among the saints of the Most High, as will 
be truly formidable against every thing that opposeth and exalteth 
itself, in opposition to Truth. 

The aspect of nations, declares that the time has arrived for the 
Church to arise and shine — to set up a standard, around which every 
Christian heart might beat in unison and love; and thus to be 

ill 



IV PREFACE. 

instrumental in making this barren world to bloom and blossom as 
the rose. 

The author, in giving publicity to views which so much rejoice 
his own heart, is actuated by no other feeling than that of sincere 
desire for Zion's prosperity, and to discharge what he conscienti- 
% ously believes to be his duty. 



TO THE 



CHURCH OF CHRIST 



Mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied. 

As the chief design of the Christian dispensation was 
to hasten the work of redemption, it is exceedingly im- 
portant that mankind should hear and understand what 
it pleased our heavenly Father to do, for the attainment 
of that desirable end. There are millions on the earth, 
who have never heard of the glad tidings of salvation 
through a crucified Saviour, and are bowing in ignorance 
to stocks and stones — little indeed elevated above the 
level of the brute. And there are millions who submit 
their best interests into the hands of blind guides, who 
adulterate and fundamentally overturn the very founda- 
tion of the blessed plan of salvation. While on the other 
hand the Church itself, tossed hither and thither on the tem- 
pestuous ocean of sectarian strife, has need of increased 
light and wisdom. Instead of there being unity and love 
among the saints of the Most High, the din of strife and 
contention is heard in the camp. In the place where 
the steady light of divine truth should shine forth to en- 
lighten the dark abodes of wretchedness and woe, it is 
difficult to distinguish between the light and the dark- 
ness. The chilliness of death is felt where vital warmth 

a2 5 



b THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

should proclaim life and health. So long accustomed to 
the murky atmosphere of denominational territories and 
to the confused Babel-like noise of denominational con- 
flicts, Christians are almost content to remain thus blinded 
to their own best interests, and to the welfare of the world. 
Instead of ardently desiring to be liberated from the chains 
which fetter it to earth, the Church, in general, torn and 
rent to the centre, is saying "I am rich and increased in 
goods, and have need of nothing." Rev. iii. 14 — 22. Al- 
though its various members are in open conflict contend- 
ing one with another, yet they will not take knowledge of 
these symptoms of decay and death — they will not learn, 
that they are making the house of God, the scene of wretch- 
edness, misery, poverty, blindness, and nakedness. They 
would rather have the fruits of sectarianism, than " gold 
tried in the fire ;" and their eyes dimmed with prejudice, 
than have them anointed with "eye salve" that they 
might see. This state of the Church is known to Him 
with whom we have to do : from Heaven, his dwelling 
place, he seeth that it is " neither cold nor hot." His 
bowels are even now turned against its present and un- 
holy condition. God forbid, that such a state of affairs 
should continue any longer. 

Let any unprejudiced mind inquire into the cause of 
the contention among Christians, and he will be con- 
vinced that they have not arrived at the whole truth — he 
will be convinced that divine truth is but feebly reflected 
from that branch of the Church, which he may think to 
be in the most healthy condition. 

If a knowledge of the truth is desirable for, and im- 
portant to, the welfare of the Church and the world ; it 
becomes the duty of those who realise the want of this 
fundamental element of success, to pray for, and hold 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 7 

their minds in readiness to receive a larger measure of it, 
from the hands of Him who alone can impart true wis- 
dom. Once let the mind of man break from the shackles 
of sectarianism , as it did in the sixteenth century from the 
embrace of the Man of Sin, and the shout of universal 
freedom shall soon ring throughout the world. It is 
sectarianism that chains the Church to the earth, and keeps 
it from soaring in the higher and more healthy atmos- 
phere of perfect liberty and truth. Let those who de- 
light to display their powers in the field of controversy 
remember, that in the days of our Saviour there were 
Scribes and Pharisees learned in all the subtleties of the 
law, who, nevertheless, as our Saviour calls them, were 
" blind guides," and who were superseded by the « fisher- 
men" of Galilee. Let them remember, that the boasted 
wisdom of the Papal Church was instrumental in driving 
from the mind of the world, almost every appearance of 
truth. Such facts should teach man to be humble — to 
take heed, lest instead of becoming the instrument of 
doing good, he becomes the author of confusion. The 
Lord humbleth the high-minded, and exalteth them that 
are lowly in their own eyes. " Out of the mouth of babes 
and sucklings, thou hast ordained strength." Ps. viii. 2. 
The author of these pages. freely acknowledges that he 
has but little of that kind of learning, which in our day 
is so much relied upon, if not considered as essential to 
the understanding and explaining the scriptures. His 
time has rather been given to the understanding of the 
scriptures themselves, than to the fruitless endeavour of 
ascertaining what particular construction such and such a 
learned man has put upon them. While he respects the 
observations and deductions of good men, he has been 
taught by their differences not to place too much conn- 



8 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

dence in their particular views. All mankind are falli- 
ble. Scripture is the only true interpreter of scripture : 
and as it is given to all, it becomes the duty of all who 
have it in their hands, humbly to search and understand 
it for themselves, as "every one shall give account of 
himself to God." Rom. xiv. 12. We need not fear the 
scrutiny to which liberty of conscience and thought will 
subject the scriptures; for they declare nothing but the 
truth. And as man has the faculty of perceiving the 
truth, it follows that, if carefully sought, the truth will be 
discerned : and as error cannot stand before truth, so we 
may know, that when truth has been attained, so long as 
the mind is left unfettered, it will stand unmoved, though 
all the powers of fallen man should conspire its over- 
throw. As the "Dragon" by degrees curtailed liberty 
of conscience, truth in proportion had to fly for shelter 
into the " wilderness" Rev. xii. 13, 14, of the dark ages. 
And as soon as this right of man was contended for, 
and obtained at the Reformation, the whole power of the 
"Beast" was made to quake to its very centre — it even 
threw the "woman" sitting on "the scarlet-coloured 
beast" on her bed of languishing. And although liberty 
of conscience since the Reformation has been interfered 
with, by the strong hand of sectarianism, yet, as soon as 
the Church again asserts her right, we may expect to see 
the now recruiting power of Antichrist come " to his end, 
and none shall help him." Dan. xi. 45. Error must fall, 
and that by the hand of truth. 

Actuated by a strong desire to see the Church arise 
and put on her beautiful garments — to behold the blessed 
light of divine truth penetrate earth's remotest bounda- 
ries, the author would gladly contribute his mite to the 
accomplishment of so glorious an end ; and if in the least 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 



degree he should be instrumental in furthering an object 
so much to be desired, the praise will be entirely His, 
who has given the ability to sinful man to perform his 
pleasure. He does not pretend to bring any thing new 
to your consideration, but merely to revive truths which 
have long been concealed from the eyes of the Church — 
truths which are clearly revealed in sacred scripture, and 
which are so important, that the proper understanding of 
them, made the hearts of the primitive Christians burn 
bright with holy joy — truths, which actuated them to 
labour with much zeal for the extension of the kingdom 
of our Lord and Saviour; — truths, that the adversaries of 
the Gospel could neither gainsay nor resist — which made 
polytheistic nations bow with humble reverence and awe 
at the feet of the holy Jesus — truths, w r hich, until darken- 
ed by the cunning craftiness of the Man of Sin, were fast 
proclaiming liberty to a world devoted to the delusive 
pleasures of sin. Though long concealed, these precious 
truths are destined to shine as bright and pure as ever. — 
They are destined to chase from the borders of Zion,the 
malaria of sectarianism and bigotry, and to unite all who 
truly love the Lord Jesus Christ, in the holy and pure 
bands of unadulterated Christian fellowship. 

Since the Reformation, the Christian Church has at- 
tained unto much truth, both glorious and precious, by 
the perusal of the sacred pages of inspiration : truth suffi- 
cient, if heeded, to save the whole w r orld. Nearly the 
whole revealed plan of salvation has been rescued from 
the tyrannous hand of despotism; but, as yet, its parts 
are separated — sacred truths are only seen in a discon- 
nected manner. Different denominations of Christians, 
with sleepless vigilance, have watched the blessed volume 
of inspiration : — They have held it up to the view of the 



10 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

world ; yet still there is much reason to regret, that the 
natural waywardness of the human heart, has kept dis- 
tant from each other these different portions of the army 
of the Lord of Hosts. Instead of meeting on the com- 
mon platform of love, and there before God depositing 
that which had been entrusted to their keeping, and with 
united prayer and supplication seeking the guidance of 
infinite wisdom to adjust the apparently conflicting truths 
of revelation, they have stood aloof from each other, as 
though they were sheep of different folds — as though 
each had a different Shepherd. By the vain endeavour 
to erect separate systems of Gospel truths upon isolated 
facts, they have thrown mystery around the whole scheme 
of redemption. But when we look at the human mind, 
we need not be surprised at such a result. Different 
individuals, in the investigation of the same subject, are 
prone to diverge in various channels. And there are 
minds which, when convinced of the truth of one part of 
a subject, so concentrate their powers to its individual 
inspection, that they expose themselves to be prejudiced 
against other portions of the system equally as worthy of 
respect and belief. It matters not how perfect a whole 
may be, if the parts are not cautiously and properly ar- 
ranged, confusion is sure to follow. Several individuals, 
in the investigation of the same subject, may arrive at 
several incontrovertible truths ; and it is possible, that 
each one being satisfied with the soundness of his own, 
may doubt the truth of one or all of those conclusions 
arrived at by the others : consequently, each one will be 
prone to establish a particular theory of his own, in which 
every description of material will be used to prop up the 
fundamental idea. As a matter of course, while several 
theories arise, the harmony and consequent benefit of the 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 11 

whole, is rendered almost, if not quite useless. A piece 
of machinery constructed for the accomplishment of a 
certain purpose is useless, however accurately made, un- 
less put together; and if not properly adjusted, it may 
have a tendency contrary to that for which it w T as con- 
structed. So with the sacred scriptures. The Creator, 
as in every instance of his handy work, brought forth the 
plan of salvation in all the grandeur of perfection, and by 
the apostles of our Saviour showed the world the connec- 
tion of the several parts thereof; yet man, by the natural 
perversity and blindness of his character, so interfered 
with its harmonious movement, that the beautiful and 
glorious scheme was laid almost a hopeless wreck through 
many successive generations. At the daw r n of the Re- 
formation, the precious scheme began to emerge from 
obscurity ; and although the whole had been embedded 
in the mire of superstition, yet the beautiful parts began 
to be appreciated as they were severally brought to the 
light of day. 

When we take into consideration the novelty of scrip- 
ture truth at that time, there is no cause for wonder, that 
none were found, who could both understand and arrange 
the several parts of the plan of salvation so as present it 
in its pristine grandeur to the astonished eye of the w T orld. 
But as the various doctrines of the scriptures, taken 
separately, are so distinctly set forth, it was but reasona- 
ble to suppose, that different minds would perceive and 
retain them. And thus it was. The several parts of the 
wondrous scheme were carried forth from Babylon the 
Great with the shouts of joyous victory. Truths were 
plucked from the iron fetters of despotism, never again to 
be immured in the noisome cells of ignorance. Light 
began to dawn on the bewildered Church of Christ. 



12 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

When "the dry bones 55 heard "the word of the Lord, 5 ' 
there was a great " shaking, and the bones came together, 
bone to his bone. 55 Since then, " the sinews and the flesh 
came up upon them, 55 and they have been covered with 
"skin. 55 Ezek. xxxvii. 1 — 8. Although clouds and 
darkness have since partially enveloped the full glare of 
divine truth, yet ere long, we may reasonably expect it to 
emerge from behind the vapoury mantle which has so 
long intervened, and to shine forth in all the perfection 
of noon-day splendour; scattering from the horizon every 
appearance of the mist which has so long caused the 
chilliness of death to characterise the Church; and which 
consequently retarded the chariot wheels of the Gospel 
as it went forth to tell of a Saviour 5 s love to a dying 
world. 

The different parts of the plan of salvation have been 
so entirely disjointed, that in several systems of theology, 
fundamental truths have been greatly changed, by the 
attempt with discordant materials to produce symmetry 
of form ; and, as might be expected, much harm has 
resulted from the unnatural construction. Forced at- 
tempts to reconcile apparent contradictions, have nearly 
counteracted the beneficial tendencv of such theories as 
have been most perfectly adjusted. Too close attention 
to any of these prevailing systems, have generally been 
attended with danger to personal religion; w 7 hieh would 
have been entirely the reverse, if the whole plan of salva- 
tion could have been seen moving in harmonious action, 
according to the intention of the Almighty Architect. 

The plan of salvation is one symmetrical and perfect 
system — in it there is no contradiction. It requires no 
material of man 5 s forging to keep it together. The glo- 
rious and Almighty Architect — the framer of the universe, 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 13 

devised and perfected the scheme ; and man has only to 
use the powers entrusted to him, with diligence and 
zeal ; — to disrobe himself of fancied wisdom, and stand 
with humble reverence and awe before the footstool of 
mercy, to learn and understand the whole council of God. 
The author is well aware of the opposition which will 
intuitively arise in the minds of many against the views 
which are about to be set forth. They will be found to 
conflict with certain theories and opinions which, in a 
great measure, are regarded by different denominations 
of Christians as essentials to the consistency of their 
theological creeds. Although such is the case, impelled 
by a sense of duty, he cannot refrain from presenting 
what he conscientiously believes to be the truth, in oppo- 
sition to those things which do but " gender strife" 
among the saints of the Most High, and w T hich, in vari- 
ous ways, greatly impede the progress of Christ's eternal 
kingdom. But, especially is he aware of the determined 
opposition which is likely to arise in the case of those 
who have spent long years in grounding themselves in 
those opinions, which are now, to all human appearance, 
so indelibly written upon their minds. He would utterly 
despair of performing this his bounden duty, did he not 
know that with God all things are possible. Acting 
under His commission, and relying upon His sufficiency, 
he is encouraged to hope that truth will prevail, and 
dispel the lingering gloom which still dims the eye of 
faith, and bespeaks the condemnation of the Man of Sin. 
Christians— true Christians desire to know nothing but 
the truth: but, although this is the case, it is not to be 
denied that they are of like passions with other men, and 
exposed to the various extraneous circumstances which 
tend to subvert good desires and intentions. That Chris- 

B 



14 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

tian has learned little of the heavenly teaching, who is 
not continually making large draughts upon charity for 
his frail brethren around him, who exceedingly err both 
in faith and practice. The mind, like the heart, has gone 
out of the way; and as the heart cannot be made clean 
in the sight of God, without much humility and child- 
like docility of character ; neither can the mind be made 
to stand upright before God, to observe and understand 
the truth, unless it is made to feel its nothingness, that it 
may be wise. That wherein we so much boast, may be 
the stumbling-block of all progress ; therefore it becomes 
us not to be high-minded, but fear — not to be too con- 
fident in our acquirements, but ever to be jealous of our- 
selves, lest we continue perversely in error. 

On the other hand, much caution is necessary, lest we 
entertain ideas that will not stand the test of candid in- 
vestigation. Indeed, at all times, it requires a well- 
balanced mind to receive and retain truth, as well as to 
disrobe ourselves of error ; and especially so in this our 
day. The surest safeguard against the encroachments 
of error, is an humble reliance upon the Most High, to 
guide and direct us into all truth. He that has promised 
to be with his Church, and to hear the prayer of faith, is 
not slow to perform ; therefore, humbly depending upon 
him, we need not fear. We may listen, and it becomes 
our duty to listen to what is spoken in the name of the 
Lord: but we are not bound to receive any thing but 
that which is consistent w r ith God's holy word, and can 
be proved thereby. As candidates for eternity, it be- 
comes us seriously and prayerfully to reflect upon what 
we hear, and to be exceedingly particular as to what we 
reject, as well as to that which we receive. An error, on 
either hand, might prove fatal to others, and to ourselves. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 15 

At the very threshold of the great and momentous 
subject which will presently claim our attention, the 
author, well remembering the hasty character of man, 
shrinks at the thought of advancing. Few indeed will 
patiently listen to the discussion of a subject which con- 
flicts with their past opinions. The earth may be globu- 
lar, but if man believes not the fact, how hard to con- 
vince him of his error! The power of steam and elec- 
tricity may almost annihilate space, but to have declared 
these wonders in an age ignorant of such powers, would 
have excited but ribaldry and contempt. Although we 
live in a highly favoured age, yet the mind of man is not 
altogether changed. 

And again, the author is made fearful, lest he should 
fail in presenting his arguments with that perspicuity 
which their importance demands. But he will endea- 
vour to look beyond self, to Him w T ho alone can qualify 
man to perform his pleasure : — humbly praying that 
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may bless 
our meditation, and guide us into all truth, and that he 
may lead his elect to reject every species of error to 
which the mind is exposed and the heart inclined : and 
may that day soon dawn, when with perfect unity the 
Church shall convey the glad tidings of salvation to every 
creature under heaven. 



ETERNAL PUNISHMENT BEYOND THE GRAVE 

COMPATIBLE WITH 

UNIVERSAL SALVATION. 



As the sacred scriptures most unequivocally teach, that they who reject 
the offers of salvation in this life, shall hereafter, (that is, after 
death,) he consigned to an eternal punishment: so they also teach 
that the salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ vjas intended for, 
and will ultimately be made available to every descendant of Adam. 

It will be our endeavour to prove that these apparently- 
contradictory doctrines are in perfect consistency with 
the scheme of redemption devised by infinite wisdom. 

In these pages it is taken for granted, that they who 
die impenitent will hereafter be punished. How any pro- 
fessing to believe in the sacred scriptures can reject a 
doctrine so clearly revealed therein as this, is a matter 
of the most profound astonishment. If it is not therein 
taught, we are left entirely at a loss to account for the 
cause of that whole system of means which is expressly 
designed to woo man to flee from the wrath to come. 
The supposition, that man by nature has the sentence of 
death abiding in him, is so interwoven throughout the 
whole fabric of scripture truth, that an attempt to extract 
it renders nugatory the whole design of the glad tidings. 
The word of God represents man as dead in trespasses 
and sins, and holds up to his view the only way to escape 
from merited punishment. If, as in truth it is, there is 

b2 17 



18 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

no other hope held out to ruined man to escape from the 
condemnation of the law, how is it possible for those to 
pass from death unto life, who will not avail themselves 
of the proffered gift; — who refuse to comply with the 
prescribed conditions of salvation. If our Saviour bids 
us come unto him, that we may have life, he surely does 
not teach that we may have it without obeying his in- 
structions. When we are told that God can be " just, 
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus," 
Rom. iii. 26 , by no course of reasoning can we there- 
from infer that he can be just, and yet justify those who 
will not believe in Jesus. 

But, without further delay, we invite your candid at- 
tention to the subject proposed for consideration: trust- 
ing that the truth as it is in Jesus may be the object of 
all concerned in the investigation ; and we humbly pray 
that "the spirit of truth" may guide us "into all truth." 

We will first call your attention to the scripture use 
of the words, alCiv and alwios, translated in the common 
English version, "world" "forever" "eternal" and 
"everlasting:" and having shown their signification, 
we will afterwards proceed to prove that the salvation 
wrought out by Jesus Christ was intended for, and will 
ultimately be made available to every son and daughter 
of Adam. 

Primarily, it is important that we inquire, whether au*v, 
or the adjective atcowo^ do or do not allude to an illimi- 
table state of existence. If it can be proved that they 
do, as a matter of course, any attempt to reconcile uni- 
versal salvation with eternal punishment beyond the 
grave, would be the height of folly. But, on the other 
hand, if it can be proved that they do not allude to an 
illimitable period of existence, then we are not left guilt- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 19 

less, if we reject a doctrine so distinctly taught, without 
any attempt to ask ourselves whether it is, or is not a 
doctrine of the sacred scriptures. If the signification of 
these words do not in the least conflict with the doctrine 
just mentioned, w T e see not how the conclusion of its 
truth can be avoided, forasmuch as it immediately clears 
up difficulties, which have been the cause of so much 
contention in the Church of Christ; and at the same 
time reveals to us the just and merciful God, infinitely 
more glorious than we had been accustomed to conceive. 

That olLujv, or auonoj, invariably allude to an illimitable 
state of existence, no Greek scholar will pretend to 
assert. If there can be no controversy here, then, from 
this quarter, all objections against the compatibility of 
universal salvation with eternal punishment are pre- 
cluded. 

These words, auw and a«w«>$, are used in the sacred 
scriptures, as well as in the ancient Greek authors, to 
represent time; a space of time ; life-time, life; a long 
period of time: of long duration; eternal, lasting; per- 
manent* 

We will now present to your consideration various 
instances, which we think will give you a clear concep- 
tion of their use in general, throughout the New Tes- 
tament. 

Our Saviour says, Matt. xiii. 22, "He also that re- 
ceived seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the 
word, and the care of this world" [nov aiuvo$ tovtov,) that 
is, the care of this age, or of this life, which is in con- 
tradistinction to the age, or life to come. This care, " and 
the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word," &c. 

Paul says to Timothy, " Charge them that are rich in 

* Donnegan's Lex. 



20 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

this world, [& *w vlv (www, that is, in the present age or 
life,] that they be not high-minded," &c, 1 Tim. vi. 17. 
And to Titus he writes, " teaching us, that denying un- 
godliness, .... we should live soberly, righteously, and 
godly in this present world" (h *w vw (wwn 5 ) i. e. in the pre- 
sent age or life. And when writing to Philemon, in be- 
half of Onesimus, he says, " For perhaps he therefore 
departed for a season, that thou shouldst receive him for 
ever" Philemon 15. (awwtw,) that is, he departed for a 
very short time, that thou shouldst receive him perma- 
nently, i. e. for life. 

With regard to the primitive sense of the words under 
consideration, in the above examples, there can be no 
doubt : but there are other passages where they have a 
more extended signification, as the following: "But 
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him 
shall never thirst." John iv. 14. (si$ t6v (www) " If any man 
eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." John vi. 51. 
(d$ tbv cwww) " The oath which was since the law maketh 
the Son, who is consecrated for ever." Heb. vii. 28. 
(sis tbv (www*,) that is, who is consecrated a priest perma- 
nently, and not like those who were made priests under 
the law. Will there not be a time when Christ shall lay 
aside his character as priest ? 

From these few instances, it is evident that these 
words, (wwj/ and cuwwos, are as properly used to describe 
a short period of time, as one of longer duration. 

When we speak of time as divided into the past and 
future, we generally use some w T ord, which, with equal 
propriety expresses the former, as well as the latter period ; 
although the former may be of definite, and the latter 
period of indefinite extent. In contrasting the present 
and the future by the use of the same word, we always 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 21 

bear in mind the distinction between one and the other 
period ; for instance, we say, the present life, and the life 
to come — the present age, and the eternal ages — the present 
existence, and future existence. Here, life, age, and exist- 
ence, describe two distinct periods of duration. Precisely 
in the same manner, are the words auov and a<,<*v(,o$ used in 
the original Greek ; and not, as some English scholars 
might have supposed, only to designate the future : for 
example, our Saviour says, Luke xx. 35, "The children 
of this world [tov aiuvo$ tovtov, that is, of this age, or life,] 
marry, and are given in marriage, but they which shall 
be accounted worthy to obtain that world [tov alZ>vo$ tecW> ; ] 
neither marry, nor are given in marriage. " And again, 
" whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall 
not be forgiven him, neither in this world, [iv *w vvv alwvt 
i. e. neither in the present life, or age,] neither in the 
world to come." Matt. xii. 32. In this latter clause, a«ov 
is understood. Paul says of Christ, that he has been 
raised by the Father " far above all principality, power, 
.... and every name that is named, not only in this 
world [iv *«> aiuvi iovTH? age, or life,] but also in that 
which is to come." Eph. i. 21. Thus, we perceive, that 
the Saviour and the Apostle Paul, used the word aw to 
express a state of existence either present or future, — of 
longer or shorter duration, synonymously as we use the 
w T ords life or age. 

Again; we will suppose a period of a thousand years, 
subdivided into ten or fifteen parts. In English, we 
would say, it was a period composed of a specified num- 
ber of periods — an age, composed of various ages. In 
the same manner the words under consideration are used 
in the original language. 

In the first place, we will recite instances in which past 



22 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

time is regarded as one distinct and entire period ; for 
example, " As he spake by the mouth of his holy pro- 
phets, which have been since the world began." Luke i. 
70. (<W aiZvos,) literally, which have been from eternity, 
that is, as he spoke by all the prophets which had pro- 
phesied from the beginning, to the time then present. 
Again; " Since the world began [i x tov ai^vo(\ was it not 
heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born 
blind." John ix. 32. See also Acts iii. 21. 

Having seen that past time is represented as one dis- 
tinct and entire period, we will now show, that this period 
is divided into an indefinite number of periods, ages, or 
eternities: thus, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul 
says, that " grace" was given him " to make all men see 
what is the fellowship of the mystery, which, from the 
beginning of the world [fab *Z>v cucSwoi/*] hath been hid in 
God," &c. Eph. iii. 9. Literally, which hath been hid 
in God from the eternities, or ages: i. e. from the begin- 
ning of the ages, or eternities, which had intervened/roTTi 
the fall, to the time then present. Thus also, writing to 
the Collossians, he says "the mystery which hath been 
hid from ages, [fab tZ>v atww] .... is now made manifest 
to his saints." Col. i. 26. * The translation here expresses 
the full sense of the original. 

On the other hand, the future is often spoken of as one 
distinct and entire period. Our Saviour says, " If any man 
shall eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." John vi. 
51. (ftj *bv (uJiva-) " He that doeth the will of God abideth 
for ever." 1 John ii. 7. (h$ tbv aluva.) These examples, 
express that such persons have passed from death unto 
life, and, consequently, are not subject to spiritual death. 
This period again is subdivided into lesser periods : thus, 
* AtJivm is the gen. plural ol dim. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 23 

" For of him, and through him, and to him are all things : 
to whom be glory for ever." Rom. xi. 36. («$ *ov$ aiZva$,*) 
literally, to whom be glory for the ages, or eternities, 
that is, to whom be glory throughout all those ages, or 
periods, comprehended in the future. So also, the fol- 
lowing examples: " Christ who is over all, blessed for 
ever." Rom. ix. 5. (1^ tovs al^va^) — unto the ages, or eter- 
nities. " To God only wise, be glory through Jesus 
Christ for ever." Rom. xvi. 27. {h^tov^aidv^) unto the 
ages, or eternities. " Who served the creature more than 
the Creator, who is blessed for ever." Rom. i. 25. («$ 
mov$ cu<om$.) unto the ages, or eternities. In these instan- 
ces, while the English version conveys the truth, it fails 
to convey the whole truth, as it is in the original. 

Thus we have seen, that both the past and the future 
are sometimes spoken of as entire and distinct periods ; 
and also*, that these periods are subdivided into minor 
periods. Presently we will perceive, that the past and 
future, as embracing in them the whole extent of duration, 
from the commencement to the completion of the plan of 
salvation, is subdivided into various periods. Paul says, 
" But we speak the w r isdom, .... which God ordained 
before the world." 1 Cor. ii. 7. {v%l ruv aluvuv) — before 
the ages, or eternities ; that is, Paul spoke forth the hid- 
den wisdom, which God ordained before the time or 
times were instituted, in which it w 7 as His pleasure that 
man should be redeemed. Awvm 9 embraces all time, 
from the institution to the completion of the plan of sal- 
vation. Again: " According to his own purpose .... 
given unto us in Christ, before the world began." 2 Tim. 
i. 9. (tt^o yj^ovuv ctlmiuv) — before eternal ages, or times. 
« Which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world 

* 'MMctc; is the ace. plural of aum. 



24 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

began." Titus i. 2. (tj^o ^ovuv alunm) — before eternal 
ages, or times. If there was a period before the ages 
or eternities commenced ; why may there not be in the 
future, a period when they shall end ? 

"God > who at sundry times and in divers manners 
spake in time past unto the fathers, hath in these last 
days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed 
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" 
Heb. i. 1, 2. (robs aluvuq,) — by whom he made the ages, 
or eternities ; i. e. the different periods comprehended in 
the whole time allotted for the entire restoration of the 
human family. 

In Paul's Epistles to the Ephesians, we find these 
words: "According to the eternal purpose which he 
purposed in Christ." Eph. iii. 11 . (xari n^dta-iv tup aluwv 
w InoUcru h XgKrr£,) literally, according to the purpose 
of the ages which he made in Christ. 

Paul writing to Timothy, addresses Christ as the King 
of ages, or eternities, (ru $\ gxcn'K'zi ru* sdmu*.) 1 Tim. i. 
17. 

The angel informed Mary, that Jesus should " reign 
over the house of Jacob for ever" Luke i. 33. (I»« ml* 
al&ivec^) unto the eternities. 

As there was a period when the ages, or eternities, 
had not commenced ; so we are taught to expect, that 
,; there will be a period when they will have been com- 
pleted, and the kingdom of Christ delivered up to the 
Father. 1 Cor. xv. 24. 

Thus we have distinctly seen that time, during which 
the work of redemption was to be completed, divided 
into the past and future : and these periods, in turn sub- 
divided into lesser periods. And again, we have per- 
ceived that whole period divided into minor periods, 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 25 

without respect to the past and future : while in the first 
part of the investigation, we found the words translated in 
the common English version "for ever" " eternal" #c, 
to express with equal propriety, either a long, or a short 
period of time. 

In no other manner than that just adopted, is it possi- 
ble for us to have any fixed ideas of the meaning of these 
words, aim and aim**. And from the examples pre- 
sented to your consideration, we can have no authority 
whatever to infer positively, that they ever allude to an 
illimitable state of existence. The proof of man's im- 
mortality must be derived from other sources. 

By paying particular attention to the foregoing, we may 
never be at a loss to understand the precise meaning of 
the words which we have been considering. For in- 
stance, " Now all these things happened them for our 
ensamples, .... upon whom the ends of the world are 
come. 51 1 Cor. x. 11. (r* r&v rm aimm) — the ends of 
the eternities are come. Tm alarm (the eternities) em- 
brace the whole period of time in which the work of re- 
demption was to be completed. And as a great portion 
of that time, or those ages, had already passed, when this 
sentence was uttered, the propriety of the apostle's ex- 
pression is therefore easily perceived : — "the ends of the 
eternities." The apostolic age was included in the latter 
part of that time, or system of times, during which, man 
was to be redeemed from the curse of the law. With 
much greater emphasis the expression may be used in 
our day and generation. See also Heb. ix. 26. 

The phrase, " for ever and ever," («? rovq aiwa; tw 
awvwv,) unto the eternities of the eternities, or unto the 
ages of ages, is susceptible of the same solution ; for 
instance, Paul said of the Son of God, "who is over 

C 



26 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

all, God blessed for ever." Rom. ix. 5. (lis rw% ulupocq,) 
— unto the eternities. Now, had he added ru> a****** 
the expression would have been the same thing, 'e^ rcvg 
alavctq, (unto the eternities,) is the future, or that which 
remains of ruv aiovuv, (the eternities) into which the whole 
period from the fall, to the completion of the work of 
redemption, is divided. 

Paul says, " Now unto the King of the eternities, [tu* 
aimm,] .... be honour and glory, unto the eternities of 

THE ETERNITIES." 1 Tim. i. 17. («« rovq cciumg ruv aiuvu*,) 

that is, for those ages which yet remain of the ages. 

Peter, when exhorting Christians to make their « call- 
ing and election sure," says, " For so an entrance shall 
be administered unto you abundantly into the eternal 
kingdom [ri» aXunov @a,o-iXeiccv] of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. i. 11. Now, we have no doubt 
that this « eternal kingdom" alludes to the mediatorial 
kingdom of Christ, which Paul teaches, "shall be deli- 
vered up to the Father, when all shall be subdued unto 
him." 1 Cor. xv. 24. 

The language of the angel to Mary, although it ap- 
pears conflicting, is yet entirely consistent with the 
foregoing: "And he shall reign over the house of 
Jacob for ever, [«s tqvs aluvocq, unto the eternities;'] 
and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke i. 33. 
In this verse, two distinct facts are stated: first, that 
"he shall reign over the house of Israel for ever;" 
second, « of his kingdom there shall be no end." 

To the understanding of this passage, it is necessary, 
first, to bear in mind that Christ, as Mediator, has a 
kingdom which shall ultimately be delivered up to the 
Father; and, second, that Christ as God, is unchangeable 
and immortal, and consequently, in this, his essential 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 27 

character, his kingdom shall have "no end." Thus, 
while on the one hand, we learn that the Mediatorial 
reign of Christ shall end, on the other we are assured 
of the perpetuity of the life to come. 

Our Saviour says, " Whosoever speaketh against the 
Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this 
world, {oduvi, 9 or eternity,] neither in that which is to 
come," Matt, xii, 32. 

If any are inclined to suppose the expression, " neither 
in that which is to come," alludes to the existence be- 
yond the bounds of mortal life, then this passage to such 
can only prove, that they alone who commit the unpar- 
donable sin, cannot possibly he forgiven ; while inferen- 
tially they are taught, that they who do not commit this 
sin, may receive forgiveness both in this, as well as in the 
eternity to come. 

But, according to a common opinion and phrase of 
the Jews, we learn that by this age or eternity, and the 
age to come*, w r e are to understand the dispensation of the 
law, and the dispensation of the Messias. This is what 
the Saviour here had reference to, and it affords a con- 
sistent interpretation of the passage before us. Those 
who commit this unpardonable sin, could have forgive- 
ness neither under the old or new dispensation; but were 
" in danger of eternal damnation," Matt. iii. 29. This 
passage teaches us nothing further. 

Our Saviour says of the torments of hell, « where the 
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark ix. 
46. At first sight, this appears to conflict with the argu- 
ment we have advanced ; yet the difficulty vanishes, as 
soon as tested by scripture and reason. In the parallel 
passage, the same torments are called " the eternal 
fire" Matt, xviii. 8, (to vfy to alww.) From what has 



28 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

already been said of the signification of the word "eter- 
nal," we have learned positively, (to say the least,) that 
it is sometimes used to describe a limited period of dura- 
tion. Now, for the sake of argument, if it is granted 
that such may be its meaning in the passage before us, 
the expression, " where the worm dieth not y &c." does 
by no means conflict with such a supposition : for it is 
strictly true, that "the worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
quenched," in that future state of punishment, whether it 
be a period of fifty or a period of a thousand years. 

A sentence of condemnation involves the transgressor 
to suffer only, during that period which was fixed by the 
character of his crime : after that time has expired, he is 
as free in the eye of the law, as his innocent neighbour, 
although he had been sentenced to continual solitary con- 
finement, and to continual hard labour for a certain spe- 
cified time. No one supposes that the word " continual" 
has any relation to the period of time beyond that com- 
prehended in the sentence. Thus, in the text, "where 
the worm dieth not, &c." has respect only to the actual 
duration of the punishment. 

If « the eternal fire,' 5 as mentioned in Matthew, be a 
limited period of duration, it will be true that "the fire" 
will continually torment the condemned : or, in other 
words, it will be as a worm that never dies, and as fire 
unquenchable during that time, but not beyond it ; other- 
wise the punishment will not be of limited duration. 

Our Saviour's remark concerning Judas, " Good were 
it for that man, if he had never been born." Mark xiv. 21. 
" If he had not been born." Matt. xxvi. 24. This being 
a proverbial expression of frequent use among the Jews, 
can offer little or no advantage to the support of any 
particular view or theory : for proverbial expressions are 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION, 29 

not always to be taken literally. The sense is often 
exceedingly hyperbolical. 

Even if we take the expression literally, it by no means 
proves that it would have been better for Judas never to 
have had an existence; but it can only prove, that it had 
been better for him not to have had an existence up to, 
or at that time. The future is by no means included in 
the expression, « if he had not been born." The origi- 
nal Greek does not say u if he had never" (or < had not 5 ) 
been born," but merely, "if that man was not born," 

(qvx I^svi^Ssj.) 

The next and last passage that we will notice at the 
present time upon this particular subject, is found in Luke 
xvi. 19—31. Concerning the interesting circumstan- 
ces in the account of the rich man and Lazarus, every 
reader of the sacred scriptures is familiar. 

In the elucidation of this passage, respect must be paid, 
first, to the context; second, to the general mode adopt- 
ed by our Saviour when speaking to the Jews. He gene- 
rally addressed them in parables ; that seeing, they might 
not see, and hearing, they might not understand. 

Our Saviour had been showing his disciples the impos- 
sibility of the affections being simultaneously set upon God 
and mammon, ver. 13. And the Pharisees, « who were 
covetous," hearing him broach this uncompromising, but 
indisputable, doctrine, « derided him." ver. 14. And from 
this circumstance Jesus immediately turns and addresses 
them. He tells them, although they justified themselves 
before men, yet God knew their hearts — that they were 
deceivers, and being deceived ; and that what they highly 
esteemed, was an abomination in His sight. 

In the sixteenth verse, he intimates the change about 
to take place : — that a remarkable epoch in the world's 

c2 



30 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

history was being established. " Since that time, [i. e. 
the time of John,] the kingdom of God is preached, and 
every man presseth into it." Then, in the seventeenth 
verse, he shows the stability of that law which they, by 
their evil practices, had so fundamentally subverted : " it 
is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of 
the law to fail." And then, to present their case in the 
most striking light, he adds, "Whosoever putteth away 
his wife and marrieth another, committeth adultery : and 
whosoever marrieth her that is put aw T ay from her hus- 
band, committeth adultery." ver. 18. The object of this 
verse is twofold : first, it is a direct condemnation of the 
course which the Jew r s had taken : and second, it show T s 
the impossibility of a legal union being effected between 
the Mosaical and Christian dispensations. 

The Jews, as it were, had committed adultery : — they 
had divorced themselves from their legitimate wife, — the 
exalted privileges which had been conferred upon them, 
and had married themselves to tibe form of godliness. 
While they superstitiously observed vain traditions , they 
omitted the weightier matters of the law. 

On the other hand, as the Jewish Church was a shadow- 
ing forth of that which was to come : — as Christ, to w T hom 
all the types and shadows pointed, had come for the ex- 
press purpose of abrogating the hand-writing of ordinan- 
ces, and thus to open up a new T and living way to eternal 
life ; so, as soon as this was accomplished ; — as soon as 
the mission of the Son of Man had been brought to a 
close, the bonds which united the Jew T s to their boasted 
law, was authoritatively dissolved or annulled. The law 
of ordinances became as a woman put away from her 
husband ; with whom it was unlawful for any to marry, 
without incurring the guilt of adultery. Therefore, the 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 31 

impossibility of a lawful union between the old and new 
dispensations. 

Having advanced thus far in his argument, our Saviour, 
with the eye of Omniscience, scanning both the present 
condition and future history of the Jews through revolv- 
ing generations, sums up the whole in one of the most 
interesting and thrilling narratives ever presented to the 
mind of man. 

The scope of the parable of the rich man and the beg- 
gar, is to show forth the reception of the Gentile world 
into the privileges of the Christian Church, and the 
miserable condition which they (the Jews) brought upon 
themselves. The whole is founded upon the fictitious 
characters of Dives and Lazarus ; which respectively 
represent the Jew and the Gentile w 7 orld. The conver- 
sation between Dives and Abraham, is merely intended 
as a mean to bring out those facts which our Saviour 
intended thus obscurely to express : therefore, in this, 
as well as in the general interpretation of parabolic re- 
presentations, every circumstance is not to be too closely 
pressed. 

" There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in 
purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day." 
ver. 19. 

This verse appropriately represents the Jews, who were 
rich in privileges ; but like most of those who feel them- 
selves rich, w T ere proud and arrogant. 

"And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 
which w 7 as laid at his gate full of sores." ver. 20. 

This verse is remarkably descriptive of the then Gentile 
world, w 7 hich in spiritual things w T ere entirely dependent 
upon the Jew 7 s. Instead of receiving the sympathy of 
those whom God had so signally favoured, they w r ere 



32 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

rather regarded with the most sovereign contempt. Their 
deplorable condition could not be hid from the eyes of 
the Jews ; for on all sides they were surrounded by them. 

" And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell 
from the rich man's table." Their helpless and ruined con- 
dition is here w T ell set forth, as appealing for sympathy to 
their more favoured neighbours. " Moreover, the dogs 
came and licked his sores." ver. 21. Our Saviour here 
intimates, that the brute creation, guided alone by in- 
stinct, would have taught the Jews their duty, if they had 
at all been disposed to learn. But they had wholly gone 
out of the way ; they had altogether become abominable. 

« And it came to pass, that the beggar died and was 
carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich 
man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up 
his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, 
and Lazarus in his bosom." verses 22, 23. 

Here the picture is reversed. The great change w r hich 
was to befall both the Jew and Gentile world, is most 
significantly represented by calling in the imagery of 
death, and by lifting up the veil of futurity. The one is 
made happy, the other miserable. What a perfect out- 
line did our Saviour set before their minds, of the actual 
change which was shortly afterwards to take place. The 
poor, perishing, and despised Gentile world was wel- 
comed, although, not children according to the flesh, into 
all the rights and privileges which pertained to the chil- 
dren of Abraham, while the children of the kingdom were 
cast out, and are still labouring under the righteous ven- 
geance of the Most High. 

We are told, that the beggar " died-" but we are not 
informed that he was buried : but the rich man also " died, 
and was buried." How completely have they been bu- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 33 

ried, in the grave of their own digging, through eighteen 
centuries ? 

"And in hell [iSy, we will presently speak of the 
meaning of this word,] he lifted up his eyes, being in tor- 
ments," .... Here the Saviour represents the unhappy 
Jews as feeling the consequences of their disobedience, 
and as seeing " afar offf* i. e. through the distant future, 
the felicity of the Gentile world. 

"And he cried and said." This is not to be taken 
literally ; but, as we before said, this conversation was 
designed as a mean to bring out those facts which it was 
the purpose of the Saviour parabolically to express. 

"Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send 
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, 
and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." 
ver. 24. 

This is designed to reveal the intensity of their suffer- 
ings ; — the hopelessness of their situation, which they 
were instrumental in bringing upon themselves ; — to show 
the utter impossibility of their receiving any assistance 
from the Christian Church while they were thus " buried" 
in their superstition and folly. 

" But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy 
lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus 
evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tor- 
mented." ver. 25. 

To their cry they receive no encouragement. Although 
they were Abraham's legitimate offspring, according to 
the flesh, yet he could do nothing for them : he reminds 
them of the past — they had abused their privileges, and 
they had to suffer the consequences. And on the other 
hand, he holds forth the despised and neglected Gentile 
world as enjoying all those rights and privileges which 



34 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

they also might in common with them have enjoyed, if 
they had performed their duty. 

"And besides all this," he adds, "between us and 
you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would 
pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to 
us that would come from thence." ver. 26. 

That « gulf" is of their own making. In spite of all 
that has happened, they still will cling to their old fond 
prejudices and peculiarities. Although they have cruci- 
fied him of whom the prophets did write ; yet, withal, 
they will not repent — they will not have Jesus to be their 
Saviour. 

Though Christians commiserate their condition, and 
might be willing to render them assistance, yet it is utterly 
impossible to approach them, in the name of the Lamb of 
God that takeih away the sins of the world : and in no 
other way can it be possible for this "gulf" to be pass- 
ed. Neither can they " come from thence ," while they 
are unwilling to give up their delusive hopes, and refuse 
to submit themselves to that King whom they once des- 
pised and crucified. 

" Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou 
would send him to my father's house : for I have five 
brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also 
come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto 
him, they have Moses and the prophets, let them* hear 
them." verses 27 — 29. 

Here they are represented as pleading for their pos- 
terity, lest they also should continue in blindness, and 
suffer the consequence of their folly. 

This part of the parable is designed to bring out the 
real condition, in which the sins of the fathers have placed 
children through succeeding generations. The only an- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 35 

swer they received from their father Abraham is, " they 
have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. 5 ' The 
Jews have always had the Old Testament scriptures in 
their hands, but they have, and still do, shut their eyes 
and stop their ears, lest they should become sensible of 
their guilt. And it is remarkable, that there have been 
little or no efforts made for their salvation since the days 
of the apostles. " They have Moses and the prophets, 
let them hear them!" 

Within the last few years, indeed, the Gospel, in some 
instances, has been as a pathway for a few souls, to cross 
that awful gulf which has so long separated them from 
the privileges of the Christian Church ; and we may look 
forward confidently to that day, when all Israel shall turn 
unto the Lord; — when the " great gulf '" shall no longer 
prove a hinderance to those who would pass from the 
one place to the other. 

" And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but if one went 
unto them from the dead, they w T ill repent. And he said 
unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, nei- 
ther will they be persuaded, though one rose from the 
dead. 55 verses 30, 31. 

These verses bring the parable to its very climax : and 
never was prophecy more strikingly fulfilled than this. 
It might have been supposed, that they would have re- 
pented if a great miracle had been performed ; but no : 
" If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither 
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 55 
They were so hardened and obdurate, that no effort of 
power w r ould convince them. Jesus performed many 
miracles before the Jews ; and yet, they asked of him a 
miracle!! Although they had the fullest evidence of 
his resurrection from the dead, yet withal, they ob- 



36 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 



stinately refused to give heed. They had "Moses and 
the prophets," who most graphically describe the pecu- 
liar characteristics of the life and death of their King, as 
well as portray with the greatest distinctness, their own 
likeness ; yet they refused to be persuaded, notwithstand- 
ing the plainness of the evidence .... So also, with the 
children ! ! 

Thus, we have seen the perfect connection and appo- 
siteness of our Saviour's address to the Jew r s ; and from 
this source, we have another strong proof of the Divinity 
of him who spake, as never man spake. This parable is 
in perfect keeping with the generality of his addresses to 
the Jews. While it was impossible to convince them of 
their helpless condition, the Saviour takes this means to 
leave a legacy to future generations, subscribed by the hand 
of Omniscience. His curious workmanship may appear 
disconnected and confused ; but when the whole is taken 
together, perfection is perceived to arise in a most won- 
derful manner, even from apparently discordant material. 

We would here remark, that the descendants of Abra- 
ham, according to the flesh, have in this parable, another 
mighty evidence that He, whom their forefathers igno- 
rantly crucified and slew, was truly the promised Messiah. 

And again, as one of their greatest arguments against 
the New Testament is, that it acknowledges the Old to 
be from God, and yet repeals the greater part of the laws 
therein contained, although these laws are often said to 
be "laws for ever" &c, we trust, that they will see the 
futility of such an objection, from what has been said 
concerning the ancient signification of the words com- 
monly translated "for ever," "eternal," &c. And we 
indulge the hope, that the time may soon dawn, when 
that once highly favoured people will turn to Him, of 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 37 

whom the prophets did write, and catch the spirit of him, 
who although a persecutor of Jesus, yet when converted, 
laboured more abundantly and successfully than all the 
other disciples of our blessed Lord and Saviour. 

With regard to the word fyhu translated "hell" in 
verse 33, in the New Testament, it never denotes the fu- 
ture state of the condemned; but rather has relation to the 
derangements of the present state of existence, as caused 
by sin. In Matt. xi. 23, and Luke x. 15, w T here our 
Saviour foretels the degradation of Capernaum, it is 
used to denote a state of desolation and destruction 
which should befall the city, in consequence of abusing 
the exalted privileges extended to them. 

" And thou, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, 
shall be brought down to hell." (tut u$ov,) that is, from 
an exalted, to a degraded condition— from honour and 
prosperity, to ignominy and adversity. And thus it hap- 
pened, according to our Saviour's words; for Caper- 
naum, as well as Chorazin and Bethsaida, were so com- 
pletely desolated during the wars between the Jews and 
Romans, that it is difficult to determine their former loca- 
tion. 

" And upon this rock I will build my Church; and 
the gates of hell [&$ov] shall not prevail against it." Matt. 
xvi. 18 ; that is, all the concentrated powers and ten- 
dencies of the present evil world, will not be able to de- 
molish the glorious scheme which I, the Son of Man, am 
about to establish. This w T e have seen verified, although 
the persecuted Church was driven into the barren wilder- 
ness of dark ages, where all the powers of darkness con- 
spired its overthrow; yet based upon the confession, 
" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," 
it ever stood a monument of God's eternal Mercy and 

D 



38 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

Truth, and shall so stand, unshaken and unmoved, until 
it emerges into the unspeakable glory of the Church 
Triumphant. 

Peter, after quoting a portion of the 16th Psalm, verses 
8 — 11, directly applies it to Christ, "He seeing this be- 
fore spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul 
was not left in hell, [Ik o,$qv,] neither his flesh did see 
corruption." Acts ii. 31. 

Concerning the meaning, here, of u$w 9 much has been 
written. While some have thought that it alludes to a 
place of punishment beyond the grave, for various reasons, 
the most able commentators of the present age reject 
such a supposition, and regard it as alluding to nothing 
more than the grave. But it is our belief, that it has 
relation to the morally and physically deranged condition 
of the world in which we live, as occasioned by sin. 

With this sense attached to a&j?, this verse teaches 
two things: first, the Son was not to continue in the pre- 
sent world; second, that he would not see corruption: 
which things were fulfilled, although contrary to the ex- 
pectation of the Jews, who supposed, that when the 
Messias would come, he was to remain on earth, and set 
up his eternal kingdom. 

The word is also found in 1 Cor. xv. 55, where it is 
translated "grave." " grave [*U] wlxere is thy victory V* 
and also in Rev. i. 18; vi. 8 ; xx. 13, 14. But we deem 
it unnecessary to extend our remarks on this topic any 
further at present. From its use in the New Testament, 
that it does not allude to the future state of the condemned, 
appears perfectly evident. The proper word in the Greek, 
expressive of that state, is yUwoc. When this word is 
used, the mind is not left in any doubt of its significa- 
tion. Thus, "whosoever shall say thou fool, shall be in 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 39 

danger of hell fire." Matt. v. 22, 29. (rh yeenav rov Trv^og.) 
" Fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body 
in hell." Matt. x. 28. (b yssviy.) See also Matt, xviii. 9 ; 
xxiii. 15, 33 : Mark ix. 43, 47: Luke xii. 5. In James 
iii. 6, yeevva, is used hyperbolically. 

We trust enough has been said for the present, to 
prove conclusively that there is nothing in the scripture 
use of the words w r hich we have just considered, to 
conflict with the proposition set forth at the head of this 
treatise, viz : Eternal punishment beyond the grave, com- 
patible with universal salvation. 

As we advance in the investigation of those passages 
of scripture which teach us that as all die in Mam, even 
so shall all be made alive in Christ, we hope you will be 
constrained more and more to esteem the exceeding 
great and merciful provisions which the glad tidings of 
salvation hold out to fallen man. No doctrine in the 
whole scheme of redemption is more prominent, glo- 
rious, and worthy to be esteemed by the Church and the 
world, than that w T hich it becomes our duty here to dis- 
cuss. Let it once be received by Christians, and the 
greatest bane of discontent, w T hich, in our opinion, has 
ever agitated the Church, will have been for ever banish- 
ed from its sacred precincts, and buried, where all the 
weapons of the Man of Sin will soon be, in oblivion. 
It may indeed be necessary for the Saviour yet to go 
through the courts of his spiritual temple w T ith a scourge, 
but, blessed be the name of the Most High, although 
"weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the 
morning." 



UNIVERSAL SALVATION. 



Having examined the scripture use of the words, alu* 
and alwioq, translated in the common English version 
"eternal" "for ever," &c. ; and having found that their 
signification will not in the least conflict with the propo- 
sition set forth at the head of this treatise, viz : Eternal 
punishment beyond the grave, compatible with universal 
salvation, we will now invite your attention to the sub- 
ject which was secondly proposed for your consideration, 
and which is as follows : 

The sacred scriptures teach us, that the salvation wrought 
out by Jesus Christ was intended for, and will ultimately 
be made available to, every son and daughter of Adam. 

With regard to this doctrine, every one who is not 
dead to the feeling of compassion, will have to acknow- 
ledge that if true, it is glorious, and every way worthy 
of the God of Love. 

The author is not in the least inclined to lean upon 
man's reason, which has been so perverted by sin, to 
direct him in the way of life, when God, who cannot lie, 
speaks so distinctly from the blessed page of inspiration. 
Bat, perverted as it is, he would not throw aside a gift, 
for which he cannot be sufficiently thankful. Reason is 
the weapon which we must often use, if we would stand 
secure from the encroachments of error. If the believers 
in the Koran, or the deluded followers of the Man of 
Sin, would once rightly use this talent, there would soon 
be an entire demolition of the strong barriers which now 
40 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 41 

keep them in Egyptian darkness. Man should use rea- 
son, but not abuse it. He should endeavour to bring it 
back to that degree of perfection which it possessed 
when first created. This is what God designs should 
be accomplished ; and if man would faithfully labour in 
unison with t/ie means which He has ordained, this pur- 
pose would speedily be effected. 

While not the least reliance should be placed upon the 
deductions of the human mind, which is so prone to err, 
when they are diametrically opposed to the teaching of 
that blessed volume, which is fully proved to be given 
by the inspiration of God, yet when it is under the influ- 
ence of, and guided by infallible truth, it cannot but 
speak, to a greater or lesser extent, the language of true 
wisdom. And as true wisdom is the same universally — 
and as God is the fountain of wisdom, it follows that, that 
wisdom which he requires man to practise, is the same 
in kind, though not in degree, which He himself practises 
towards his creatures. God requires man to love mercy; 
and every rational being must acknowledge, that he is 
infinite in mercy. The mercy of a perfect intelligent 
creature, is a miniature of infinite mercy. 

In moral, as w T ell as in natural philosophy, a law once 
ascertained, is universally the same wherever it is in 
operation : — the sameness is evident, be the examples 
large or small. As it is true wisdom in, as well as the 
duty of, men as members of society, to promote the vir- 
tue and happiness of the whole ; so, whenever this wise 
law is observed, it is an example of the same in kind with 
that which characterises the conduct of the Deity towards 
his creatures. The reason why w 7 e are bound to prac- 
tise such a law is, that we are under the government of 
Him, who being the perfection of wisdom, practises it 

d2 



42 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

himself, and wills us to be wise, as he is wise. A so- 
ciety of men under the guidance of wisdom, although it 
would be but as a grain of sand, in comparison with the 
universe over which God rules, would, notwithstanding, 
be under a law similar to that which characterises his 
government. 

But to advance a step further : if it is true wisdom, as 
w T ell as the duty of society, to enact laws to punish trans- 
gressors, and shut them out from all its privileges for a 
period of time proportionate to the colour of the offence, 
then this is an example, the same in kind, with that law 
of justice j which the Creator puts in force in His univer- 
sal government. But it is also true wisdom, as well as 
the duty of society, to guide the hand of justice with 
mercy. That is, it is as much the duty of society, while 
it punishes the offender, to pity his condition, and employ 
means for his reformation, as it is to mete out the punish- 
ment he deserves. This fact once settled, proves that the 
same law is infinitely enforced in the divine government ; 
for all those higher virtues which he demands of us to 
practise, are in kind analagous to his attributes of infinite 
perfection. 

Whether we look in the heavens above, or in the 
earth beneath, we see the law of progression legibly im- 
printed. We can think of nothing in the government of 
the Creator, which even has the appearance of non-pro- 
gressiveness. Generation after generation, the world is 
furnished with things animate and inanimate, although 
decay and death is everywhere perceived. Winter lalls: 
— summer mercifully restores life. The justice of God is 
continually visiting upon man the reward of transgression, 
yet mercy is unceasingly at work to heal the wound which 
justice inflicts. And is it possible to conceive of a mo- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 43 

rnent, when this attribute of glorious perfection will cease 
to operate? Having the ability and power to devise 
means to rescue man from the fires of hell ; yea, having 
employed means sufficient for the accomplishment of that 
purpose already, will God in very truth not persevere in 
His endeavours to pluck them from such exquisite tor- 
ments ? He requires of man to act differently towards 
man ! those who practise his commands most perfectly, 
w r ould in the greatest degree desire, that even devils 
might be converted, liberated, and permitted to enjoy the 
smile of God's favour. And shall God, who dwells in 
them; — who is the cause of such desires, act otherwise? 
Let us not think more unworthily of God, than of those 
who are mere reflections of his perfection. 

Again, let us look at the greatest examples which the 
history of the world furnishes us, of the natural tendency 
of the Divine government with respect to the past ; and 
then ask ourselves, how it is most likely our Father in 
heaven will act in the future. Adam w T as set a perfect 
man in the garden of Eden. — God's law was to be the 
rule of his life : — transgression was to be visited by death. 
We learn, that as soon as Adam sinned, justice inflicted 
upon him the punishment due to his crime. But although 
the sentence of justice was irrevocable, yet mercy step- 
ped forth, and both devised and instituted the means of 
his reformation. From being a son of man — a child of 
wrath — it became the steady purpose of the Creator to 
exalt him to the amazing height of an affinity with the 
Son of his love ! 

And again, man living in the antediluvian world, 
which must almost have been a paradise in comparison 
with the world that now is, waxed more and more wick- 
ed, until it became necessary again for justice to stretch 



44 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

forth his hand and inflict upon him a still greater degree 
of punishment. Although we see a disposition in man 
to stand still in his misery, do we perceive in God's 
government over him, any thing to lead us to the suppo- 
sition that his mercy has ceased to devise means for his 
restoration? Why did he take Abraham to himself; or 
lead Israel out of Egypt ; or give his Son to be a propi- 
tiation for the sins of the whole world ? 

If such has been His conduct in the past, is there room 
for inference, that he will cease thus to act in the future ? 
He bringeth good out of evil : — he maketh the wrath of 
man to praise him. Thus it has been, and as God is un- 
changeable, reason teaches us that thus it shall be. 

We will now inquire, what scripture directly teaches 
us on the subject under consideration. 

The author would here beg leave to say, that he has 
never consulted the advocates of universal salvation, as 
it is commonly received in our day, verbally nor by their 
writings. The conclusions to which he has arrived with 
regard to the meaning of the various passages which will 
claim our attention, have been entirely from reference to 
the scriptures themselves, and in direct opposition to the 
prejudices of his education. It is not his intention to 
weary your minds by lengthy arguments; but with as 
much simplicity and conciseness as possible, to lay before 
you the truth, as it is clearly revealed. 

" For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled 
to God by the death of his Son ; much more, being re- 
conciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only 
so, but we also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." 
Rom. v. 10, 11. 

We here learn that mankind, while " being enemies," 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 45 

were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. From 
this fact the apostle deduces an argument, which shows 
most conclusively, that if God, in infinite mercy, was 
pleased by the death of his Son, to effect a reconcilia- 
tion with fallen man ; they, being thus reconciled, should 
most certainly be saved in his life. The certainty of a 
fact to be accomplished, is more positively inferred from 
an event already past. "For if, when we," i. e. " we," 
the descendants of Adam, " being sinners, were recon- 
ciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being 
reconciled, we shall be saved in (I>) his life ; and" the apos- 
tle continues, "not only so, butw r e," i. e. w r e Christians, 
" also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by 
whom we have now (at the present time) received the 
atonement," or reconciliation. Previous to the repent- 
ance of these Christians, and their faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ, they were enemies, although reconciled to God by 
the death of his Son: now, they had accepted of the rich 
provisions of mercy, and become "friends" of God, — 
"joint heirs with Christ." 

There is a vast difference between God's being recon- 
ciled to sinners, and sinners being reconciled to God. 
This distinction must be particularly noticed, or else we 
involve ourselves in difficulty, and make the apostle ap- 
pear as contradicting himself. Be it, therefore, distinctly 
understood; although mankind are reconciled to God by 
the death of his Son, that none can profit thereby, or " be 
saved in his life," until they are subdued, or made willing, 
to accept the reconciliation, by becoming reconciled them- 
selves ; which can only be effected through faith in Jesus 
Christ. 

" But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For 
if through the offence of one many be dead ; much more 



46 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one 
man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as 
it was by one that sinned, so is the gift : for the judgment 
was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many 
offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence 
death reigned by one ; much more they which receive 
abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall 
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ : Therefore, as by the 
offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condem- 
nation ; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift 
came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by 
one man's disobedience many were made sinners ; so by 
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 55 
Rom. v. 15—19. 

The general tenor of this passage is so manifest, that 
comment appears unnecessary. 

" But not as the offence, so also the free gift." « The 
offence" alludes to Adam's transgression; while "the 
free gift" alludes to the favour which the Creator extend- 
ed to the human family, by the institution of the plan of 
salvation : " For," the apostle continues, « if through the 
offence of one, many be dead: much more the grace of 
God, and the gift in grace, which is of one man, Jesus 
Christ, abounds unto many. 55 " The grace of God" 
w r hich is extended to the human family, is a consequence 
of " the free gift" " The gift in grace" (i ia^k h x<*Z iTl ) 
points particularly to the atonement, voluntarily wrought 
out for the sins of the world, by our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ : in consequence thereof, God became re- 
conciled to sinners. 

" The free gift," (to %«§»<?■/*«,) is not as " the offence;" 
for " the offence," and consequent condemnation, was 
on account of one man sinning; but " the free gift, 55 not 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 47 

only covers the personal offence of Adam, but extends 
more freely and more certainly to the family of man, than 
did the effects of the fall. Death, was in consequence of 
the offence of one ; but " the free gift" abounds unto many. 
As it is infallibly certain, that " the many" (oItto^oi,) 
which died in consequence of Adam's sin, alludes to the 
whole human family, so there is no more reason to doubt 
but that " the many" (tou* noT^olq,) to whom the grace 
of God, and the gift in grace, so richly abounds, has an 
equal extent of signification. 

The idea which the apostle conveys by this antithesis, 
is as follows : the plan of salvation is far more glorious 
and extensive, than was the fall of man ignominious and 
fatal : or, in other words ; — if the fall of man was disas- ' 
trous, as it involved the whole human family in its con- 
sequences ; the glorious plan of redemption, (compara- 
tively speaking,) was far more than adequate to its entire 
restoration. 

m But not as by one that sinned, the gift" The apos- 
tle here guards against the abuse of the glorious informa- 
tion which he had just stated. 

The sin of Adam made it infalliblv certain, that all his 
seed would possess a sinful nature, and thus be prone to 
sin : but although such is the case, he would have them 
remember, that it was not equally as certain, that they 
would immediately inherit " the gift," (to H^p*,) whe- 
ther they would or not, as they inherited their corrupt 
nature. It is not unlikely that some, in the days of the 
apostle, supposed such to have been the fact; as, in our 
day, there are not wanting those who erroneously believe 
and teach the same for scripture truth. 

The reason why the gift (to li^^a) is « not as by one 
that sinned," is thus stated to be "because the judgment 



48 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

(or sentence) was by one to condemnation." That is, on 
account of sin, man had been condemned by the Creator, 
and He could not release the condemned, except upon 
certain conditions which He was pleased to institute, viz. 
repentance and faith. " The gift," (to W^a,) is the free- 
will offering of salvation by faith, which is extended 
without distinction, to the whole human family; but 
which cannot possibly be made available in the case of 
any, otherwise than by complying with the conditions. 
Its acceptance brings the individual under entirely new 
relations ; — from enmity, to friendship — from a state of 
nature, to a state of grace. God has not only been re- 
conciled to him by the death of his Son, but he has be- 
come reconciled to God, by faith in the all-sufficiency of 
the same Lord Jesus Christ. He can now say, "Abba, 
Father!!" 

" But the free gift." ( T J %^^a.) This " free gift" is 
entirely different from "the gift" (to Sa^pa,) — although 
they are both unmerited gifts of sovereign grace. The 
X<z.£icrpa,, embraces in its signification, all those gifts, and 
that calling of God, which Paul saith " are without re- 
pentance." Rom. xi. 32. These gifts are independent 
of, and antecedent to, repentance and faith : whereas, on 
the other hand, the So^pa, can only be obtained by re- 
pentance and faith. 

"The free gift is from many offences , unto justifica- 
tion." The institution of the plan of salvation, was ex- 
pressly designed to counteract the whole effect of sin ; 
— to release the guilty from a state of condemnation, by 
providing means for their justification. The means em- 
ployed, are sufficient to accomplish the end for which 
they were ordained. This " free gift" is extended to the 
whole human family, and all shall be made partakers of 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 49 

the fullness of its advantages, before Christ will deliver 
up the kingdom to the Father: for, he " must reign, till 
he hath put all enemies under his feet :" i. e. until " all 
shall be subdued under him." 1 Cor. xv. 25 — 28. 

" For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one," 
i. e. if by the sin of Adam all mankind were involved in 
death, "much more they which receive abundance of 
grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life, 
by one, Jesus Christ." As "the free gift" (to %&qtapa) 
of God to the whole human family, includes " this abund- 
ance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness," it fol- 
lows, as a matter of course, that all mankind "shall (ul- 
timately) reign in life through Jesus Christ." 

The consequences of Adam's sin, is here placed in 
opposition to the merciful provision which God has made 
for the entire restoration of the human family. As surely 
as death reigned by one, shall all reign by one, Jesus 
Christ ; because u the abundance of grace, and the gift of 
righteousness" have been freely given to all. These are 
the evidences of God's love to « sinners ;" — these are the 
positive proofs of his being reconciled to his "enemies:" 
although, as we said before, they are only rendered avail- 
able, by sinful man becoming reconciled to Him who is 
already reconciled to them by the death of his Son. All 
who have already been gathered together in Christ, even 
now reign with Him ; and he is not only a propitiation 
for their sins, but also "for the sins of the whole world." 
" It is a true saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 
Christ Jesus came into the w T orld to save sinners" 

The eighteenth verse fixes the meaning and extent of 
the preceding one in the most clear and positive manner. 
The consequence resulting from the righteousness of 
Christ, is placed in opposition to that which resulted from 

E 



50 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

the offence of Adam. We are informed, as distinctly as 
words can express, that as condemnation came upon all 
men in consequence of one offence ; so, also, did justifica- 
tion of life come upon all men in consequence of the righte- 
ousness of one. " Therefore, as by the offence of one y 
(judgment) came upon all men unto condemnation ; even 
so, by the righteousness of one (the gift in grace, came) 
upon all men unto justification of life" 

Judgment. This word is not in the Greek, but it is 
plainly implied, and is stated in the sixteenth verse. 

The free gift y as it is in the common English version, 
or, as we have substituted in its stead, the gift in grace y 
are not in the original text ; but it is very evident, that 
the latter is implied by the apostle, and not the former ; for 
" the free gift" is not in consequence of the righteousness 
of Christ ; but the righteousness of Christ is a consequence 
of the free gift, which the Creator was pleased to extend 
to the human family at the fall. On the other hand, we 
know, from verse fifteen, that "the gift in grace" came 
by the righteousness " of one man, Jesus Christ." 

As the consequence of Adam's offence has been pro- 
gressing, and will progress, until the final consummation 
of earthly things, so the righteousness of Christ, as it h^as 
been progressing, so it will continue to progress, until He 
shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father. As 
Adam was the instrumental cause of death to " all men, 55 
so the righteousness of Christ is the instrumental cause 
of life to " all men; 55 although it is as great folly to sup- 
pose, that any can partake of the righteousness of Christ 
without experiencing the " new birth unto righteousness, 55 
as it is to suppose, that any one could partake of the na- 
ture of Adam, who had not been born of the seed of 
Adam. " Ye must be bom again" says our Saviouv. 
John iii. 7. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 51 

After having stated that condemnation came upon all 
men by the offence of one, and on the other hand, that 
justification of life came upon all men by the righteous- 
ness of one, the apostle takes occasion to explain him- 
self more freely, by saying, " For as by one man's dis- 
obedience, many were made sinners, 35 i. e. all were made 
sinners, u so by the obedience of one, shall many be 
made righteous." ver. 19. No language can be more 
explicit. The obedience of Christ is placed in opposition 
to, and counterbalances the evil effect of, the disobedience 
of Adam. A literal translation of this verse is more 
emphatic. For as by the disobedience of the one man, 
the many [o* ttoAAo*] were made sinners : so also [wt«i *aX\ 
by the obedience of the one (Christ) shall the many [ol 
woXAoi] be made righteous. 

As it is certain that the many which were made sinners, 
includes the whole family of man, so it is equally as cer- 
taia, if language is at all to be depended upon, that the 
apostle really meant by the many which " shall be made 
righteous," to include aU y or " the many" which were 
made sinners. Thus we have seen how plain the teach- 
ing of Paul is in this passage of scripture : and as we 
progress, we think that the same glorious doctrine will 
be rendered more distinct. 

We will next turn our attention to Rom. viii. 18 — 24: 

"For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present 
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which 
shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of 
the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of 
God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not 
willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the 
same in hope : Because the creature itself also shall be 
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glo- 



52 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

rious liberty of the children of God. For we know that 
the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain to- 
gether until now: and not only they, but ourselves also, 
which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves 
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, 
the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope : 
but hope that is seen is not hope : for what a man seeth, 
why doth he yet hope for?" 

We think this passage teaches universal salvation with 
perfect distinctness. The apostle here undertakes to 
prove, from the experience of the human family, the cer- 
tainty of a future state of existence. He says nothing of 
the correctness of the expectation of being made happy 
hereafter, as it is generally entertained by mankind, but 
merely refers to the expectation as a fact, which of itself 
is a strong presumptive proof of its divine origin, and 
therefore to be relied upon. 

The reason why Paul educes this argument, is to con- 
firm the faith of those who had but recently put on 
Christ — who had just turned from the worship of idols, 
or from the vain philosophy of heathen moralists. It was 
necessary that all the powers of the world to come should 
be set before the eyes of their understanding, to stimu- 
late them to walk worthy of their high calling ; for while 
they were taught the certainty of future bliss, they were 
also reminded that none could possibly partake of it, 
but they who had passed from condemnation unto life, 
through the blood of Jesus ; that to be partakers of the 
likeness of his resurrection, it was necessary they should 
be planted together in the likeness of his death. Thus 
while he sets forth the universal expectation of man, as 
an argument in favour of future happiness, he at the 
same time affirms that they alone are "sons of God" 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 53 

who "are led by the spirit of God." "For if ye live 
after the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye through the spirit 
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live ;" that 
is, " the spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead, shall 
also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit, that dwell- 
eth in you." It was necessary that Paul should remind 
them, that the condition of their glorification in the future 
state depended upon their willingness, in the present 
life, to suffer with Christ ; for the tendency of the human 
heart is towards present gratification, practically regard- 
less of future good, but theoretically buoyed up by 
delusive hopes. 

After Paul had stated the universal expectation that 
reigns in the bosom of man, he also adds, in accordance 
with what he had previously said in chapter fifth, that 
the expectation will finally be realised, although by no 
means according to the fallacious hope of the carnal 
heart. He does not say how or when this will be con- 
summated, but merely states the fact. 

Now, let it be borne in mind, that the apostle's pur- 
pose was principally to confirm the faith, and to brighten 
the hope of the sincere follower of Christ. To such, he 
says, there is no condemnation ; and having passed from 
death unto life, he would, have them remember that 
" the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be 
compared with the glory which shall be revealed" in 
them ; and then, to prove the reality of such a state of 
bliss to which he referred, he alludes to the instinctive 
Iwpe, that to a greater or less extent is entertained by the 
whole human family: "For the earnest (or anxious) ex- 
pectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of 
the sons of God." This is the universal expectation. It 
is another question, whether or not this expectation will 

e2 



54 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

be realised in the manner which the great majority of 
mankind fondly hope. 

There never has been a nation without some form of 
religion ; and every system of religion ever devised by 
man, however corrupt or abominable, has held forth to 
its votaries the expectation of what was considered to 
be, the chief good — that which they had not in the pre- 
sent life, (except in a very limited degree,) and which 
was regarded by them as the highest gift of the divinity. 

Although there have been men who have detected the 
various fallacies and glaring inconsistencies of the pre- 
vailing systems, and although there have been not a few 
w T ho have professed to discard the whole system of re- 
vealed religion, yet, as a whole, we can say, without 
contradiction, that the human family professes to believe, 
not only in a future state of existence, but also, that all 
who perform what is considered to be duty, or things 
which ought to he done, shall ultimately enjoy future bliss : 
and not only so, it is a remarkable fact, that mankind 
generally expect to gain the prize, somehow or other, 
although they may be willing to acknowledge and quake 
with fear, when they remember that their present life is 
not what it should he: hope, w T hich is so deeply im- 
planted in the human breast, generally burns bright, even 
when conscience is pronouncing condemnation. « There 
is scarcely an individual, " says that popular writer, Tho- 
mas Dick, "who admits the doctrine of the immortality 
of man, who does not indulge a certain degree of hope, 
that he shall be admitted into a happier world, when his 
spirit wings its way from this earthly scene. Even the 
man of the world, the profligate, and the debauchee, not- 
withstanding their consciousness of guilt, and the oppo- 
sition of their affections to the divine law, and the duties 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 55 

of the Christian life, are frequently found buoying them- 
selves up, in the midst of their unhallowed courses, with 
the vain expectation, that an all-merciful Creator will not 
suffer them ultimately to sink into perdition, but will 
pity their weaknesses and follies, and receive them, 
when they die, into the joys of heaven." That con- 
science which has been lulled into a state of carnal secu- 
rity, by the opiates of infidelity, did once speak with dis- 
tinctness: it not only promised future life, but future 
bliss, as a reward for the faithful performance of duty ; 
and until it had been seared as with "a hot iron" it 
ceased not to perform its functions ; so that those who 
have the appearance of being exceptions to the general 
rule, are not so in reality. As long as conscience con- 
tinues to operate, it proclaims a future life, and so long 
does the human heart fondly hope to escape the conse- 
quences of sin hereafter, and be made happy. 

This natural longing for immortality is that to which 
Paul refers in the present verse : " For the earnest ex- 
pectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of 
the sons of God." This fact being fully comprehended 
by those to whom he wrote, would greatly fortify them 
against all those delusions of the human mind, which 
tend to overturn the convictions of reason and con- 
science, or to counteract the teaching of revelation ; it 
would stimulate them to labour hard to obtain the incor- 
ruptible crown of life, and so to run in the race set 
before them in the gospel, " not as uncertainly," or as 
those beating the air, but as those who had the most 
positive evidence that their labour w 7 ould not be in vain. 

Kt'utk; (creature) embraces in its signification the w T hole 
human family. Without any exceptions, all w T ho have 
ever breathed the breath of life, have been partakers of 



56 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

the infection of the " creature," forasmuch as, in this 
respect, a perfect unity of nature has been constantly 
propagated from one generation to another. " For the 
creature" (ver. 20) of which Christians in the present life, 
although spiritually renewed, are a part, "was made 
subject to vanity not willingly ;" that is, not voluntarily 
— not of choice. Here the apostle carries the mind im- 
mediately back to the fall of man, and makes known to 
us the fact, that " the creature was made subject to vanity 
not willingly 5 ' on the part of the Creator. Adam's hap- 
piness would have remained perfect, and God would 
have been glorified, had it not been for the offence ; but 
as a free agent, the continuation of his happiness de- 
pended upon himself: it w T as agreeable to the Creator's 
will, that his happiness should have continued, but it 
was forfeited by transgression. Justice required the full 
infliction of the penalty of disobedience on the offend- 
ers, but Mercy came forth to open a door of escape to 
fallen man; and thus he "was made subject to vanity 
not willingly" on the Creator's part, but he was thus 
made, so that in due time he might be delivered from 
the condemnation of a broken law, and be made a par- 
taker of the divine nature. So glorious and mysterious 
is the plan of salvation, that man, subject as he is to 
vanity, is exceedingly blest, while cheered with such 
"a Aope" as is held forth in the glad tidings of salvation. 
The whole prospect of future happiness, is in conse- 
quence of the sovereign mercy of God. If mercy had not 

"contrived the way 



To save rebellious man," 

the human family would have been cut off in its infancy, 

and consigned to endure the just penalty of transgression. 

" Because the creature itself also (which has been sub- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 57 

jected in, or upon hope), shall be delivered from the bond- 
age of corruption , into the glorious liberty of the children 
of God." ver. 21. Here is a very plain reason why the 
creature was made subject to vanity, instead of being 
cut off, when Adam had transgressed: "because it shall 
be delivered from the bondage of corruption." This 
freedom w T as purchased by the sufferings of the Lamb 
of God ; He, by his one oblation of himself once offered , 
made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, 
and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. His 
gracious work will be perfected, when all will have been 
subdued unto him, and the kingdom delivered up to 
God, even the Father. As the whole human family fell 
in Adam, their federal head, so will they be redeemed 
in Christ, the federal head of the spiritual creation. 

The apostle, after having made the assertion that "the 
creature shall be delivered," appeals to the experience 
of those to whom he wrote, as to the real condition 
of the " creature," or human family. " For we know," 
says he, " that the whole creation, [rcco-a. * xria^, 
that all or every creature,] groaneth and travaileth in 
pain together until now," ver. 22, and therefore stand 
in absolute need of deliverance, as all have gone out of 
the w r ay. The connection of the apostle's argument is 
most perfect, and we are left without doubt as to the 
meaning and extent of " the creature." 

The next verse is intended to corroborate the fact just 
mentioned. It is an appeal to the experience of those 
who, although delivered from the bondage of the law, 
are yet confined to a sinful body: — although, having 
received the spirit of adoption, yet at the same time 
groan, being subject to the infirmities of "the crea- 
ture." "And not only," he adds, is it true that the 



58 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

creature groaneth and travaileth in pain together until 
now, « but ourselves also, which have the first fruits 
of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, 
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our 
body." ver. 23. 

No language could be stronger, or more perfectly 
natural, than that here used, in support of the argument 
which has just been laid down, and which we believe to 
be the real meaning of the passage. We are involved in 
inextricable difficulty the moment we endeavour to put 
any other construction upon the apostle's argument. The 
apostle here carries the mind from the general condition 
of the creature, to the particular condition of the most 
favoured portion of the whole, and for further proof of 
the real state of the whole human family, he could go no 
further; and therefore, after having clearly stated the 
important fact which led him to digress , he stops short, 
and again resumes the line of argument which he had 
momentarily discontinued. He had said in the eighteenth 
verse, " For I reckon that the sufferings of the present 
time," &c. Now, he continues, " For we are saved by 
hope." 

I would here merely add, in passing, that as the first- 
fruits are an assurance of the ingathering of the whole 
harvest, so are those now brought into the Church, and 
presented to the Father through Jesus Christ, and who 
have the first-fruits of the Spirit, a certain indication of 
the ingathering of the whole creature. 

Thus we have had another, and as clear a proof of the 
doctrine of universal salvation, as it is possible for us to 
conceive : and far from making the terrors of the law less 
operative upon the consciences of the wicked, I think a 
full view of the whole subject will have the contrary effect. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 59 

Nothing can have a belter effect in taming the almost 
indomitable passions of mankind, than an intelligent view 
of infinite mercy, when linked with infinite justice. If 
mercy operates so beneficially between man and man, 
although practised so meagerly ; the Divine mercy, as ex- 
tended to imperfect beings, will consequently have infi- 
nitely greater effect upon those, whose minds are open 
to perceive their relation and obligation to the Author of 
their existence. Convince the mind of man of the infi- 
nite love of God, and of his own condition by nature, and 
the consequence is almost sure to be favourable. Is there 
any other band than love, sufficiently strong to bind the 
Christian to the Creator ? When the soul becomes recon- 
ciled to God, in Christ, love not only constrains it to 
abide faithful, but also to labour for the interests of other 
immortal souls. (2 Cor. v. 14.) Love is the feast of the 
Church below, as well as of the Church above : it is the 
key, by which we are enabled to unlock, and perceive 
the cause of all the sufferings and privations which the 
holy army of martyrs endured ; and especially of those 
which the noble Paul sustained, as he followed in the 
footsteps of his Divine Master. Would he convince 
Christians of the preciousness of the Gospel of Christ? — 
hear him ! — " But God commendeth his love towards us, 
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the un- 
godly." R,om. v. 8. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel 
of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to 
every one that believeth." Rom. i. 16. Would he drive 
away their fears, and confirm their faith ; he says, " Who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ ?" Rom. viii. 35. 
John says, " And we have known and believed the love that 
God hath to us." 1 John. iv. 16. "God is love." And 
again, " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he 



60 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

first loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our 
sins." 1 John iv. 2. Think you, that any thing can be more 
effectual than love, to lead man to love: or, could the 
Almighty assume a more terrible aspect to a rebellious, 
but reasonable creature, than that of being clothed with 
love? When the consequence of transgression, viz. 
eternal punishment, is fully set before the mind of the 
sinner, will it not be heightened by the thought of the 
exceeding great wickedness of sinning against Him who 
has done so much for his salvation ? When fully sensible 
of his guilt, will it in truth be necessary for the eternal 
Judge to pronounce his doom ? or, will he not become 
both his own accuser and judge? All the condemned 
will be compelled to say, " Just and right is He." 

It is likely, some men w T ould be disposed to say, even 
if the scriptures teach universal salvation, it were better 
for the cause of souls, if that particular doctrine were 
kept in obscurity. Paul thought otherwise. He would 
have the Church particularly to understand the whole 
mystery of the scheme of redemption. Nothing but the 
proper understanding and appreciation of the whole 
work, will ever be sufficiently operative, to make Chris- 
tians in general faithful to their high calling. 

As soon as a cloud of error began to darken the hori- 
zon of the primitive Church, piety declined, and con- 
tinued to decline in proportion as truth was subverted, 
until the blackness of darkness nearly obscured the gra- 
cious light of the Gospel from the eyes of the world : but 
as soon as the Reformation of the sixteenth century be- 
gan to disperse the mists of error, its light was extended 
almost to the ends of the earth. " The people that walk- 
ed in darkness," then perceived " a great light." For 
the greatest blessings we enjoy, we are indebted to the 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 61 

increased light shed forth from the holy scriptures ; whose 
truths alone, if followed, will bring to man, peace, pros- 
perity, and happiness, both present and eternal. 

Do not the conflicts which rend the Christian Church 
tell us, as by a voice from heaven, that it has not as yet, 
attained unto the whole truth ? And if so great blessings 
result from the imperfect knowledge which we now have 
of the sacred scriptures, is it not exceedingly desirable 
for us, and for the world, to have the whole truth ? How 
can we hope to attain unto the truth ? Is it by remaining 
stationary ? or by anxiously, prayerfully, and persever- 
ingly inquiring, with unprejudiced minds, to know the 
w T hole mystery of God ? For what are the holy scrip- 
tures given ? Are they given to illuminate the minds of 
glorified saints, or sinful man ? Think you, that the Crea- 
tor would mock at the miseries of man, by giving him a 
revelation which, in his present state, he could not un- 
derstand? "What meaning can we attach to the w r ord 
revelation, but that which implies an uncovering of those 
mysteries, unto w T hich fallen man could not otherwise 
attain ? In the future life, w T e will need no such revela- 
tion. 

Another portion of the chapter which we have just 
been considering, demands our attention. It reads thus : 

" And we know that all things work together for good 
to them that love God, to them who are the called ac- 
cording to his purpose. For w T hom he did foreknow, he 
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his 
Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also call- 
ed; and whom he called, them he also justified; and 
w T hom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall 

F 



62 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

we then say to these things ? If God be for us, who can 
be against us?" Rom. viii. 28 — 31. 

Those designated as " called according to the pur- 
pose," ver. 28, are Christians. As soon as man had 
fallen, the plan of salvation, by which the sinner could 
pass from death unto life, was put in operation. It was 
so arranged, as not to interfere with the divine perfection 
on the one hand, or the freedom of man's will on the 
other. In this way, God can be just, and yet justify 
sinners. 

One of the most marked features in the word of God, 
is the universality of its invitation: " Whosoever will, 
let him take the water of life freely." Rev. xxii. 17. 
But in order to make this invitation or call available, 
there are certain obvious duties required. Those who 
comply with the conditions, or in other words, accept of 
the proposition of the Almighty, are said to be « called 
according to his purpose," or proposition. Thus, while 
it is evident that all are called to accept of the gracious 
gift according to the proposition held out in the Gospel ; 
yet none are absolutely benefited thereby, but those who 
truly love God, and comply with the prescribed condi- 
tions. Thus, we are led to discriminate between those 
who are actually called according to the proposition, and 
those who have not accepted of the invitation of the 
Gospel. 

Paul adopts the very same mode of reasoning here, as he 
did in that portion of the present chapter which we have 
just considered. There, he proves, that the present suffer- 
ings of Christians " are not worthy to be compared with the 
glory which shall be revealed" in them, from the univer- 
sal " expectation of the creature." Here, he brings forth 
an argument to show, that "all things work together for 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 63 

good, to thern that love God," from the fact, that those 
whom he foreknew , " he also did predestinate to be conform- 
de to the image of his Son." And inasmuch as he predes- 
tinated all mankind to be saved, (as it will be our en- 
deavour presently to show,) it was perfectly evident, that 
those who had already complied with his requisitions, 
would be regarded with special favour: — that to them, 
"all things would work together for good." 

But to proceed : " For whom he did foreknow." ver. 
29. Who are they whom God did not foreknow ? As 
soon as man had fallen, He foresaw the condition of 
every soul that would be born into the world, and that 
plan which He ordained, was intended to rescue all from 
the condemnation of a broken law : He is not willing 
that any should perish. "Jesus Christ, the righteous," 
says John, " is not only a propitiation for our sins, but 
also for the sins of the whole world" 1 John ii. 2. As 
God is "no respecter of persons ," we may rest assured, 
that the glorious plan of salvation was not designed for a 
certain favoured few, as the Jews, — as even the apostles 
at first selfishly supposed. Mercy was extended free, 
that all might partake of its life-giving efficacy. 

Is it possible for the Almighty to plan, and to will, 
and be unable to perform ? If Christ is the propitiation 
for the sins of the whole world, shall that propitiation be 
unavailable to any ? If all have been reconciled to God 
by the death of his Son; shall the Son cease to reign, 
until those whom he hath purchased with His own blood 
shall have been subdued unto him ? — until all his jewels 
will have been made up ? 

Peter speaking of Christ, says, " who verily was fore- 
ordained," ox foreknown, (ir^oeyvua-^Bvov,) "before the 
foundation of the world ; but was made manifest in these 



64 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

last times for you." 1 Pet. i. 20. For what purpose was 
he foreknown*) Was it not to redeem fallen man from 
death) Shall He fail in performing His work? He "was 
manifested in these last times" for the Gentiles, who 
were entirely overlooked by the Jews. " If I be lifted 
up," says the Saviour, "I will draw all men unto me." 

The extent of those foreknown, once ascertained, dis- 
robes that which follows of all difficulty ; forasmuch, as 
such were also predestinated ; and those predestinated, 
called, &c. While such is the case, our argument is far 
from resting simply upon this fact. 

Before we endeavour to prove that all mankind were 
predestinated " to be conformed to the image of the Son," 
by reference to other portions of scripture, where the 
word TT^oo^ (to predestinate) is used, we ask: Do not 
the scriptures invite all to accept of the provisions of 
mercy, and thus to be conformed to this image ? If this is 
not the case, why do they ask " Why will ye die?" Jer. 
xxvii. 13. Why were the apostles commanded to preach 
the Gospel to " every creature," if a portion of mankind 
had been predestinated to eternal damnation ? Why is 
the commission given to Christians to say to all, « come," 
if any cannot possibly comply w T ith the invitation ? 

If we ask Paul, if God predestinated all; he answers, 
"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ, shall all be 
made alive" 1 Cor. xv. 22. If we are yet in doubt, 
w r e hear him say, " as by one man's disobedience, many 
were made sinners ; so by the obedience of one, shall 
many be made righteous." Rom. v. 19. 

After the Jews had abused their trust, and not only 
disregarded the voice of, but killed, the prophets sent 
unto them, God determined to send His own Son into 
the world, that both Jew and Gentile might have bold- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 65 

ness to enter into the holiest by His most precious blood, 
by a new and living way. Heb. x. 20. What He deter- 
mined before, or predestinated, to be done, He also 
performed. 

In Acts iv. 27, 28, it thus reads: "For of a truth 
against thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, 
both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and 
people of Israel were gathered together, for to do what- 
soever Thy hand and Thy council determined before 
(a^owgiers) to be done." In this passage we have the first 
example in the New Testament of the word, K^o^fy : — 
which, at least, shows the steadfastness of the Divine 
purpose. 

After passing over the two instances found in the pas- 
sage now T under consideration, w 7 e next find it used in 
1 Cor. ii. 7, where it thus reads : " But we speak the 
wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wis- 
dom, which God ordained (ir^ou^aev) before the world, 
which none of the princes of this world knew : for 
had they known it, they would not have crucified the 
Lord of glory.' 5 The Jews did not understand the Di- 
vine purpose, or the mystery of God, or " they would not 
have crucified the Lord of glory." Why would they not 
have crucified him ? Because, they w r ould have under- 
stood, what their prejudices would not permit them to 
understand; that the plan of salvation which God had 
instituted, was not confined to a portion of the human 
family, but was intended to embrace all. " Take heed 
brethren, lest any of you fall, after the example of their 
unbelief." If any thing can be learned from actions, 
then, if a portion of mankind w r ere predestinated to eter- 
nal damnation, surely those, who killed the Lord of glory, 
must have been among that number : and yet, withal we 

f2 



66 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

are told, that if they had known the mystery which God 
foreordained, or predestinated, they would not have done 
what they did ! ! Surely, if they had known positively 
that the Almighty had predestinated them to eternal con- 
demnation, this knowledge would only have served as 
fuel to increase the flame of their hatred ! ! But no ; if 
they had known the exceeding great love of God, they 
would have acted otherwise : and they who died impeni- 
tent, would have been saved, by being assimilated to the 
image of the Son of God, and therefore, would have been 
among the " first fruits' 5 of that glorious harvest yet to be 
gathered into the garner of the Lord. 

u^oo^a) (to predestinate) is found in the fifth and 
eleventh verses of Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. The 
first thirteen verses read as follows : 

" Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, 
to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in 
Christ Jesus : Grace he to you, and peace, from God our 
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed he the 
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath 
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places 
in Christ : according as he hath chosen us in him before 
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and 
without blame before him in love : having predestinated 
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to him- 
self, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the 
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us 
accepted in the Beloved : in whom we have redemption 
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to 
the riches of his grace ; w T herein he hath abounded to- 
ward us in all wisdom and prudence ; having made known 
unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good 
pleasure which he had purposed in himself: that in the 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 67 

dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather to- 
gether in one, all things in Christ, both which are in 
heaven, and which are on earth : even in him, in whom 
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinat- 
ed according to the purpose of him who worketh all 
things after the counsel of his own will ; that we should 
be to the praise of his glory, w T ho first trusted in Christ. 
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of 
truth, the gospel of your salvation : in whom also, after 
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of 
promise." 

After the usual opening salutation, the apostle breaks 
forth in grateful praise to Almighty God, "who hath 
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ." ver. 3. 
We are not to suppose that « us" here alludes to Chris- 
tians only. Mankind in general — Gentile as well as Jew, 
are blessed with spiritual blessings ; but these blessings 
are only to be found in Christ. He is the fount of all 
blessings. Our present existence, as well as the hope 
of eternal life, depends upon him. None can become 
participants in these blessings, but those who submit 
themselves to Christ : such are as branches united to the 
true vine, and partake of the advantages of that union : 
they thus become according as they were chosen in him 
before the foundation of the world, ver. 4. The Chris- 
tian stood upon the same ground as any other sinner, 
before his conversion ; he was then not what he was 
chosen to be, and continued so until he turned his eyes 
to Christ for salvation: and so, he who now stands in 
the same perilous situation, estranged from God, is not 
what he was chosen to be, from the foundation of the 
world. Thus while all were chosen in Christ, yet none 
are what they were chosen to be, until they are in 



68 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

Christ" and then they are "holy, and without blame 
before him in love. 55 

In the fifth verse, the apostle informs us, that mankind 
were predestinated " unto the adoption of children, by 
(or through) Jesus Christ to himself, 55 i. e. to God. The 
reason why God thus predestinated man, was not because 
of any desert on his part, but " according to the good 
pleasure of His will: to the praise of the glory of his 
grace, w 7 herein 55 or in which [sv ?] act of grace, " he 
hath made us accepted in the Beloved, 55 ver. 6; that is, 
He became reconciled to us "by the death of his Son, 55 
as the apostle on a previous occasion informed us. 
Rom. v. 10. But, although God hath accepted the atone- 
ment, whereby he became reconciled to those who were 
by nature " enemies, yet it does not follow that they 
have availed themselves of the consequent advantages. 
For enemies, to be " reconciled to God, by the death of 
his Son, 55 or, in other words, "to be accepted in the 
Beloved, 55 is an unspeakably great advantage : but until 
they seek redemption through his blood, the forgiveness 
of sins, 55 i. e. until they become reconciled themselves, 
they still remain enemies, and as such have the sentence 
of death abiding in them. We do not become recon- 
ciled to God antecedently to his becoming reconciled to 
us: it was necessary that God should first be "recon- 
ciled 55 to us — that we should first be " accepted in the 
Beloved, 55 before it could avail us any thing to seek 
" redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. 55 

"Having made known unto us the mystery of his 
will, according to his good pleasure, which he had pur- 
posed in himself. 55 ver. 9. None will pretend to say 
that the mystery made known, was to be confined to 
Christians alone: therefore "us, 51 in this verse, as in 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 69 

several foregoing instances, is not to be limited to any- 
particular portion of the human family. The " mystery 55 
was designed as much for the heathen, as for the civilised 
world ; it was primarily intended, not for the righteous, 
but for sinners, that they might be persuaded to become 
righteous. 

The tenth verse declares what the " mystery 55 is, 
which he purposed in himself, viz: "That in the dispen- 
sation of the fulness of times, he might gather together 
in one all things in Christ, [t« iruvra. h r$ X^aru — the all 
in Christ,] both which are in heaven, and which are on 
earth. 55 Here w T e are told that " the all" shall be gathered " 
together under one head in Christ. Can all be under one 
head, if any be finally rejected ? If all shall be in Christy 
can any be perpetually out of Christ? Shall God pur- 
pose to do, and be unable to perform ? 

The apostle then continues : " In whom also we 
have obtained an inheritance, [e^^G^e? — were chosen,] 
being predestinated according to the purpose of him 
who worketh all things after the counsel of his w T ill : that 
we should be to the praise of his glory, who first 
trusted in Christ. 55 verses 11, 12. Mark, here the 
sudden transition from the general tenor of the fore- 
going argument, (3 — 10 verses,) to the particular appli- 
cation which he now makes of it. In whom also we ivere 
chosen. The apostle, in this place, does not allude to 
the Ephesians, but only to those "who first trusted in 
Christ, 55 among whom he was numbered. 'ExA^G^j', 
implies that they (Christians) were chosen by a certain 
process: thus they were chosen or accepted in Christ, 
by the exercise of faith, and consequently were predes- 
tinated, not only in the sense that all are predestinated 
unto the adoption of children, but they were " predesti- 



70 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

nated according to the purpose (plan, or proposition) of 
him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will ;" 
that is, they had accepted of the provisions of mercy, 
according as they were declared in the scriptures, and 
had thus received the " adoption," whereby they were 
enabled to cry Abba, Father. In this way, it is God's 
will that all should be predestinated ; and for the accom- 
plishment of this purpose, He has left nothing undone. 
"All things are ready!" The condition upon which 
man's salvation hangs, is simply, " Believe in the Lord 
Jesus Christ." God can be just, and the justifier of 
those alone who believe in Jesus. 

Having declared the fact of their acceptance, who 
first trusted in Christ, the apostle thus continues: "In 
whom also ye (trusted), after that ye heard the word of 
truth, the gospel of your salvation ; in whom also, after 
that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of 
promise." Thus the Ephesians, by accepting of the 
offers of salvation, became "predestinated according to 
the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the 
counsel of His will." 

Such appears to be the only intelligible outline of this 
interesting and important portion of sacred scripture. 
After having extended the usual salutation to the Ephe- 
sian Church, we hear Paul, in a general manner ', declare 
the whole counsel of God. (3 — 10 verses.) And then, 
we hear him speak of the actual participation in the mer- 
ciful provisions of the Gospel, on the part of those " who 
first trusted in Christ." (verses 11, 12.) And afterwards, 
he reminds the Ephesians, that they also had given heed 
to the offers of salvation through Christ, and conse- 
quently " were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise ;" 
on which account, in a perfectly natural manner, he goes 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 71 

on to speak of the pleasure and interest which such an 
assurance gave him: "Wherefore I also, having heard 
of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the 
the saints, cease not to give thanks for you," &c. 

Thus, we have endeavoured to show, that God not 
only foreknew, but predestinated all to be conformed to 
the image of His Son. This intelligence, while it should 
cause the blush of shame to arise, in the case of those 
who have rejected so great salvation, and make them 
tremble, lest in consequence of their hardness of heart, 
God should suddenly consign them to the fire of an eternal 
perdition ; yet at the same time, it is calculated to nourish 
the most delightful confidence and trust in the experience 
of those w 7 ho have complied with the offers of salvation, 
and consequently, are not only called, but « called ac- 
cording to the purpose :" not only predestinated in com- 
mon with others, but " predestinated according to the 
purpose (plan, or proposition) of Him who worketh all 
things after the counsel of His will." They cannot doubt, 
as to their being among the number of the " elect" who 
are living in the exercise of faith ; forasmuch as all were 
predestinated to the adoption of children through Jesus 
Christ according to the good pleasure of God's will, and 
therefore their faith, w T hich unites them to Christ, as the 
branch is united to the vine, is the constant evidence of 
their being predestinated according to the purpose. 

" And whom he predestinated, he also called." The 
foregoing verse states, that God foreknew and predesti- 
nated the restoration of fallen man ; — that they should 
" be conformed to the image of His Son." But, man is 
a free agent, and God a righteous governor, whose laws 
had been broken by man ; therefore, in the nature of the 
case, by the mere volition of the infinite mind, independ- 



\ 



12 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

ent of man's free agency, the work of redemption could 
not be consummated ; and for these reasons -.—first, a 
restoration after that manner, would have interfered with 
the freedom of man's will ; and if God had destroyed his 
free agency, there could have been no restoration. If 
any are inclined to think otherwise, I would merely add 
to such, that those restored would not be men, but beings 
of another nature. Second, To have restored man with- 
out a sufficient atonement for his transgression, God would 
have ceased to act the part of a righteous governor ; 
which thing is as impossible, as it would be for Him to 
break His own laws : — therefore we are told, those whom 
He foreknew and predestinated to be conformed to the 
image of His Son, " He also called." 

It appears almost presumption, for any one to under- 
take to tell the glorious news, that all are invited, or 
called upon to partake of the water of 'life freely , when 
God himself, speaks so plainly in the scriptures, that a 
wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err. Where is 
the man, who is not called upon to depart from iniquity, 
and to turn unto the Lord his God, who will abundantly 
pardon ? — Where can a soul be found, for whom there is 
no salvation*} — Who is not called to look to the Lamb 
of God that taketh away the sin of the world ? 

Our Saviour says, Matt. xx. 16 ; xxii. 14, "Many are 
called, but few are chosen" (IxAgxro*.) — But few are elect- 
ed* or selected. Here is positive evidence that many are 
called who have not, as yet, been numbered among those 
elected. " Many," in the Greek, has frequently the sig- 
nification of all : — for instance, we read " For as by one 
man's disobedience, many were made sinners." Rom v. 

* The " elected" are those who close in with the offers of salvation, 
or become converted. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 73 

19. Here, we are not left in doubt, as to the significa- 
tion of « many." 

Paul thus speaks : " By whom we have received grace 
and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all na- 
tions, among whom, [or, among which] are ye also called 
of Jesus Christ." Rom. i. 5,6. As soon as the new dis- 
pensation was fully opened, the w T all of partition, which 
separated the Jew and the Gentile world, was broken 
down : the Gospel was preached to all nations. The 
command was, " Go ye unto all the world ? and preach 
the Gospel to every creature." Therefore, the apostle 
adds, " among which (nations) are ye also called of Jesus 
Christ." The whole Roman people are here included ;— 
they, with other nations, were " called of Jesus Christ." 
The Gospel was preached to the whole nation, and not 
only to a chosen few. 

In the next verse, when he particularly addresses the 
Christian Church at Rome, he used the same word, xAhto^ 
(called,) but he qualifies it by another, which gives it a 
particular signification. We are not left in doubt, as to 
whom he there alludes. The Greek is not called to be 
saints , but xhyroTq ayiaq' called saints: which expres- 
sion is equivalent to IkA£kto$ (elected,) or nincx; (faithful.) 
All may become called saints, but not until they accept 
of the offers of salvation, by faith. The same phrase is 
used in the salutation to the Corinthian Church : " To the 
Church of God which is at Corinth, sanctified in Christ 
Jesus — called saints ." (*^t«k kyUiq.) 1 Cor. i. 2. And 
in the twenty-third and twenty-fourth verses of the same 
chapter, it thus reads : " But we preach Christ crucified ; 
unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks 
foolishness ; but to the called, both Jews and Greeks, 
Christ, the power of God." The expression "both Jews 

G 



74 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

and Greeks/' is used in accommodation, to represent the 
whole human family. All were called; and therefore, 
Paul preached the Gospel to all, whether it would be- 
come a stumbling-block to the Jew, or foolishness to the 
Greek. While all are called, yet it is necessary for us to 
be in Christ, and constantly cling to him by faith , if we 
would have our calling sure. We will add nothing fur- 
ther at present on the remainder of the thirtieth verse. 

If it is granted that God foreknew, predestinated, or 
called, the whole human family, the extent of either 
immediately establishes the limit of the others. For the 
several particulars mentioned are so connected, that an 
attempt to make the extent of their signification unequal, 
wrests from the passage every appearance of sense, and 
consequently leaves the mind in utter uncertainty. He 
who is satisfied that God "foreknew" all, is shut up to 
the conclusion that all are "predestinated." The same 
conclusion inevitably follows, if it is granted that all are 
called," &c. 

No passage in the volume of inspiration conveys to 
man matter more wonderful, great, and glorious, than 
that w T hich has now, in part, received our brief attention. 
The apostle, in a masterly manner, peculiarly his own, 
summed up in one powerful strain, the whole subject, 
which he had previously more largely considered. 

The next portion of sacred scripture which will claim 
our attention, is the fifteenth chapter of the First Epistle 
to the Corinthians. In the twenty-second verse, we are 
informed, that " as in Adam all die, even so in Christ 
shall all be made alive." It appears unnecessary to 
occupy much of our time upon a passage so divested of 
ambiguity. If language is at all to be depended upon, 
it can have but one meaning. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 75 

As there can be no doubt as to all having died in 
Adam, then why should we hesitate to believe the glo- 
rious assurance which inspiration holds forth, when we 
are told " even so in Christ shall all be made alive." To 
be " in Christ," is to be " a new T creature ;" therefore, 
if all w T ho have died in Adam, are to be " in Christ," 
then shall all be made new creatures, or " be made alive." 
Is such a saying or such a scheme of mercy unw T orthy 
of the God of love ? Let not our conceptions of his 
attributes be bounded by our blunted and feeble sense. 
Think you, that He w T ho formed the glorious plan of sal- 
vation, by which sinners may be justified, without inter- 
fering w T ith his attribute of justice, could not have ex- 
tended it infinitely further and more glorious, than w T e in 
this state of existence are able to conceive ! « Can w T e 
by searching find out God ? can w T e find out the Almighty 
unto perfection ? It is as high as heaven, w r hat canst 
thou do? — deeper than hell, what canst thou know?" 
If God had not given us a revelation of his will, we 
would have been in w T orse than Egyptian darkness, with 
respect to all his plans and purposes : then why should 
w r e not believe what he so plainly teaches, even though 
it is not according to his will to disclose to us that which 
belongs to another state of existence? We have no 
right to expect a revelation of any thing, but that which 
relates to the present situation of the human family. 

It were better to be among the number of those who 
believe, admire, and adore infinite w T isdom for what has 
been declared, even though it were too much for the 
mind to conceive, than to stand with those who doubt, 
because they are unable to comprehend, or those w T ho 
bend the word of God to suit their particular views of 
the scheme of redemption. 



76 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

He who can prove that the last member of the sentence 
before us, is not equally as extensive as the first, can 
make darkness light, and light darkness ; he can darken 
"counsel, by words without knowledge.'* But, thanks 
be to God, that we are not left to our own imaginings 
on this momentous subject. Other portions of God's 
word testify to the same truth, which is here so dis- 
tinctly taught; and especially have* we reason to be 
thankful, that Paul in this chapter states, (although in 
few words,) the order in which the great work w T ill ulti- 
mately be accomplished. 

The arguments of the apostle, if examined attentively, 
will always be found to flow in a perfectly natural chan- 
nel. In none of his writings, would we more confidently 
expect some information, as to the order in w r hich the 
divine plan would ultimately be accomplished, than in the 
present chapter ; and we are not disappointed, for imme- 
diately after he says, " As in Adam all die, even so in 
Christ shall all be made alive," he adds, "but every 
man in his own order;" that is, each or every one in the 
particular order, or plan ordained by the Almighty, for 
the accomplishment of his purpose : and then he imme- 
diately subjoins the order; which is: 1. "Christ, the 
first-fruits;" 2. "Afterwards, they that are Christ's, at 
his coming ;" 3. " Then cometh the end, when he shall 
have delivered up the kingdom to the Father," &c. 
Thus, you perceive this order comprehends in it three 
distinct periods of time, in which all shall be made alive 
in Christ. The first period, comprises in it all time be- 
tween the fall and the second coming of Christ; the 
next, points to the second coming itself; the third period 
extends from the last-named event, until the delivering 
up the kingdom to the Father. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 77 

1. » Christ, the first-fruits." Christ is here represented 
as the " first-fruits" of all those who will be first in the 
"order" i. e. of those who have or will sleep in him, 
until the second coining : at that time, the first part of the 
order here declared, will have been completed. 

The apostle, in the twentieth verse, says, "But now 
is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits 
of them that slept," i. e. of such as had died in the 
exercise of true faith. With equal propriety, we may 
say, he is the first fruits of those who have slept in him, 
even though they have just departed this life, or of those 
who will sleep in him, until he shall again come in glo- 
rious majesty in the clouds of heaven. Thus, while 
Christ is the first fruits of those first in the « order" 
assigned, they in turn become, as saith James, (i. 18,) 
" a kind of first-fruits of his creatures ;" and it is evi- 
dent that if Christians*are " a kind of first-fruits of his 
creatures," and if the first fruits are an earnest or pledge 
of the ingathering of the whole harvest, we may rest 
assured that all will be saved, forasmuch as all mankind 
are reckoned among the number of his creatures. 

2. « Afterwards, they that are Christ's at his coming." 
As w r e suppose there can be no question as to the time 
here alluded to, by " his coming," (I» rSi na^ova-'ia xvtqu,) 
we will not detain you, but will pass on to the third and 
last period of time, in w T hich all shall be made alive in 
Christ. 

3. " Then cometh the end, when he shall have deli- 
vered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when 
he shall have put dow T n all rule, and all authority and 
power." ver. 24. This will be at the conclusion of the 
work of redemption ; or, in other words, at the end of 
Christ's mediatorial kingdom. 

g2 



78 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

"For he must reign until he hath put all enemies under 
his feet." ver. 25. Are not all who are opposed to the 
righteous government of God, enemies*} Are not these 
condemned in hell, enemies ? Would they remain there, 
if they were not enemies? Paul says, " When we were 
yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the 
ungodly " Rom. v. 6. None will limit the ungodly to 
the number of those who become Christians I and in the 
tenth verse of the same chapter, he adds, " For if, when 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the 
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall 
be saved by his life." Here we are told, the human 
family being enemies, were reconciled to God, and in the 
verse under consideration, w T e are told, that the mediato- 
rial reign of Christ shall continue, « until he hath put 
all enemies under his feet f" 

We know not how these eneimes shall be subdued, 
but we are most distinctly taught that they will. This 
w r e do know, that in the purpose of the Father all have 
been put in subjection under his feet, none excepted, 
although "we see not yet all things put under him." 
Heb. ii. 8 — 10. Christians have already been subdued, 
or put under his feet, by the "two-edged sword" that 
proceedeth out of his mouth : and this same Jesus shall 
go forth, "conquering and to conquer," "till he hath 
put all enemies under his feet." 

" The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 
ver. 26. What is death? Is it merely the termination 
of natural life? Does death, the consequence of Adam's 
sin, only involve the dissolution of our mortal existence ? 
or is this mortal existence but the prelude to that death, 
whose horrors all must suffer who die out of Christ ? It 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 79 

becomes us not to fix the meaning of scripture, but to 
permit it to teach us the truth. 

When death shall be destroyed, the consequence of 
Adam's sin will be terminated : then will be verified the 
saying, "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all 
be made alive" 

If the whole work of redemption will have been com- 
pleted at the second coming of Christ, then we are left 
in perfect doubt as to the reason why the apostle adds, 
" Then cometh the end, 55 &c. (verses 24 — 26 ;) and we 
are in as much doubt as to its meaning. 

We have now examined the order, as laid down by the 
apostle, in which the work of redemption will be com- 
pleted : and we think the more carefully this subject is 
examined, the more conclusive it will appear. Ambi- 
guity, doubt, and perplexity all vanish, and the apostle 
stands in naked grandeur, declaring with perfect clear- 
ness the general outline of the mystery of redeeming 
grace. 

With the above, agrees another saying of Paul: "For 
God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have 
mercy upon all" Well might he cry out, " the depth 
of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of 
God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways 
past finding out! 55 Rom. xi. 32 — 36. 

Before the conversion of Paul, he was an enemy to 
the cross of Christ, "dead in trespasses and sins: 55 but, 
as soon as he was made alive in Christ, he was con- 
strained by the love of God, not to live for himself, but 
to labour for those souls who were yet without God and 
without hope in the world. Would he have laboured for 
those who could not have received remission of sins ? 
If we ask him why he thus laboured, he answers: 



80 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

" Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, tlien 
were all dead." 2 Cor. vi. 14. This solution is sufficient 
to account for the interest and labour of all true Chris- 
tians in the cause of souls. Jill by nature are dead, and 
Christ died for all: therefore they would have all men 
to come to the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 
and thus at once be subdued by the power of redeeming 
grace, and numbered among the " first-fruits" of the 
entire harvest of souls. Christians well know, that if 
the ungodly die in their sins, they shall be consigned to 
endure the anguish of an eternal banishment from the 
presence of the Lord and the glory of his power. Thus, 
while the unconverted have reason to tremble, as they 
learn their actual condition, — "dead" yet mankind, and 
especially Christians, have reason to rejoice that Christ 
" died for all;" that the Father hath been reconciled to 
man ; that "this man (Jesus) after he had offered one 
sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of 
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made 
his footstool." Heb. x. 12, 13. 

We will now turn to the following passage, found in 
the first chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. 

" Who (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the 
first-born of every creature : for by Him were all things 
created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible 
and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or 
principalities, or powers : all things were created by Him, 
and for Him : and He is before all things, and by Him 
all things consist : and He is the head of the body, the 
Church ; who is the beginning, the first-born from the 
dead ; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence : 
for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness 
dwell ; and, having made peace through the blood of His 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 81 

cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by 
Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in 
heaven." verses 15 — 20. 

The first thing to be noticed here is, that Christ is said 
to be the " first-born of every creature." We take this 
expression to mean, that He is to the heavenly, or those 
begotten of Him, what Adam was to the earthy, or those 
partaking of his nature. He is the " first-born of every 
creature, because in him [ot» h avra)] were all created." That 
is, in the purpose of the Father; in Him and through Him, 
" every creature" that " groaneth and travaileth in pain 
together until now," were created, whether they are in 
the heavens or on the earth, visible or invisible— the living 
or the departed — those having an existence now, or who 
are yet to exist. He hath been " appointed heir of all." 
Heb. i. 2. He hath purchased all mankind with His 
most precious blood. 

To Adam was granted the honour of being the first- 
born of the human family ; therefore, all were created in 
him — he was the heir of all that would partake of his na- 
ture. Those begotten of him, would become heirs to- 
gether with him of those yet to be born. The federal 
heads of both the natural and the spiritual creation are, 
in this respect, coincident. We may say of the first 
Adam, "for of him, and through him, are all mankind." 
But, as the second Adam has " a name which is above 
every name," it can be said of Him, " for of Him, and 
through Him, and to Him, are all" Rom. xi. 36. As all 
mankind were created in Adam, the federal head of the 
earthy, before any were born unto him; so it is infal- 
libly as certain, that man, created in the image of God, 
shall be begotten of Christ ; because all were created in 
him. 



82 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

Christ is for all, (tt^o wuvtuv,) and by Him all consist. 
(ver. 17.) That is, by tasting death for all, He hath 
brought all together in Him, (ri kuvtgc lv uvru a-v»sa-rms m ) 
although "we see not as yet all put under Him." Heb. 
ii. 8. In accordance with what we here learn, viz. that 
all were created in Christ, we are also informed that, it 
is the good pleasure of God's will, " that in the dispen- 
sation of the fulness of times He might gather together in 
one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and 
which are on earth." And that "God also hath highly 
exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above 
every name : that at the name of Jesus every knee should 
bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things 
under the earth." Phil. ii. 9, 10. Literally, that in the 
name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of the heavenly, 
(iTFovgcLv'wv,) and of the earthly, (iwiytiov) and of the lower 
regions, (tLXTetxQoAuv,) or of those under the earth. In a 
word, w r e are here taught, that " all flesh shall see the 
salvation of God." 

Again, in the eighteenth verse of the passage under 
consideration, we are informed that Christ is " the head 
of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the first- 
born from the dead." That is, he is " the first-born" of 
those who have, or shall ever partake of His nature ; as 
Adam was the first-born of mankind. " That in all things 
He might have the pre-eminence," or, as we would ren- 
der it, « that He might be pre-eminently in all." (!» tS^.) 
We have seen that " all were created in Him ;" and from 
this fact, we think it easy to come to the precise mean- 
ing of the expression "in all." It alludes to Christ him- 
self, the federal head of the spiritual creation. As the 
whole family of man was created in Adam, so was the 
spiritual, in Christ. Both Adam and Christ, as federal 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 83 

heads respectively of the natural and spiritual creation, 
standybr all, (w^o wuvrm,) ver. 17, and therefore, nothing 
can be of them, that hath not been created in them ; and 
consequently it follows, that they are the all, in all. The 
one of the natural, and the other of the spiritual creation. 
So considered Paul. See Col. hi. 11. 

" For it pleased the Father that in Him should all ful- 
ness dwell." ver. 19. Out of Christ, there is no spi- 
ritual life ; as out of the family of man, there is no human 
existence. The fulness of Adam was communicated to 
his posterity, of which he was the head : in like manner, 
the fulness of Christ is communicated to " the Church," 
of which He is " the head." The whole fulness of the 
human family is limited by its present extent; and on the 
other hand, the whole fulness of the Church, is bounded 
by the number which, to the present time, have been ad- 
mitted into it. To subtract from the respective families 
of Adam and Christ one soul of those who have been, or 
shall be admitted into them, their fulness would be in- 
complete. Did Christ die for all ? then w T ere all created 
in him. It is as absurd to suppose that the fulness of 
Christ can be complete without taking in all for whom 
He died, and who « were created in Him," as to suppose 
that the fulness of Adam can consist in a part of those 
who have or shall yet be descended from him. "While 
the fulness of Christ is ever present, it is ever to be, until 
" all" (ver. 20.) that compose the fulness, shall have 
been collected together, or reconciled unto himself through 
the blood of His cross. 

Although we think enough has been said, to show with 
distinctness the teaching of the sacred scriptures on the 
subject which we have been considering, yet it is of 
considerable importance that we pass in review portions 



84 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

of the ninth and eleventh chapters of the Epistle to the 
Romans ; which, we think, will give us a distinct con- 
ception concerning the promised seed, as well as furnish 
additional testimony to the doctrine set forth in this 
treatise. 

The ninth chapter will first claim our attention. — After 
Paul had made the plan of salvation the subject of a 
particular discussion in the preceding chapters of this 
epistle, lest his brethren according to the flesh should 
infer that his affections were alienated from them, he 
takes occasion to declare distinctly, the intensity of his 
regard for them : — « I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, 
my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my 
heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from 
Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the 
flesh."* verses 1 — 3. He was not in the least inclined 
to regard with indifference the peculiar favours which 
they as a people had received at the hands of Jehovah. 
— « Who are Israelites ; to whom pertaineth the adoption, 
and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the 
law, and the service of God, and the promises ; whose are 
the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ 
came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." 
verses 4, 5. 

But as he was particularly enlightened in the plan of 
salvation, and perceived the almost helplessness of their 
situation, of whose blindness, folly, and superstition, he 
himself had been a perfect demonstration, and saw their 
utter aversion to that spiritual worship which alone is 
acceptable to God; he undertakes to show wherein they 

* The doctrine of the final restoration of all mankind, can alone con- 
sistently explain the wish of Paul in this verse. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 85 

erred, hoping, without doubt, that it might lead some 
of them to see the danger of their situation ; and also, 
that their example might prove a salutary warning to 
Christians. 

In the sixth verse we are informed, that he was far 
from thinking, that the word of God had taken none effect. 
He remembered, with the liveliest gratitude, that since 
the covenant made with Abraham, God had never been 
left without a people. He called to mind, all those who 
had died in the true faith, and such as were converted 
upon hearing of the name of Jesus : — truly, it had taken 
effect!! But, he adds, « they are not all Israel, which 
are of Israel." Here, he distinguishes between the spi- 
ritual Israel, and Israel according to the flesh. In proof 
of this assertion, he educes the argument contained in the 
seven following verses, and which thus read : — 

" Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are 
they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 
That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these 
are not the children of God : but the children of the pro- 
mise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of 
promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have 
a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had 
conceived by one, even by our father Isaac ; (For the 
children being not yet born, neither having done any 
good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to elec- 
tion, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger : 
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I 
hated." 

The promise to Abraham, that he should be "the 
Father of many nations," had altogether been miscon- 
strued by the Jews ; they supposed that it had respect 

H 



86 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

exclusively to their own nation. According to their view, 
Abraham was to be a father of a nation destined to uni- 
versal empire ; and this nation they vainly supposed to 
be confined to his descendants according to the flesh: 
instead of which, the promise to Abraham had reference 
to a spiritual seed — to those who should partake of the 
new birth unto righteousness, which all nations were ulti- 
mately to receive through him and his seed instrument- 
ally. Of the fulfilment of this promise, the world has 
had partial demonstration, since the time of our blessed 
Saviour : and concerning the truth of the apostle's asser- 
tion — " Neither because they are the seed of Abraham 
are they all children" — they (the Jews) had sufficient 
proof, from those facts so abundantly scattered through- 
out their whole history, as well as from what had been 
written by the pen of inspiration w r hich they professed to 
value so highly, and which was continually sounded in 
their ears : but they wilfully determined to close their 
eyes, and stop their ears, lest they should see and hear, 
and be converted. 

As one and a very strong proof, that all of the seed 
of Abraham, according to the flesh, were not children 
in the sense signified by Jehovah, Paul quotes a passage 
from the book of Genesis : " But in Isaac shall thy seed 
be called." Gen. xxi. 12: literally, But in Isaac a seed 
shall be called to thee. Let it always be remembered, the 
"promise" to Abraham, that he should be a father of 
many nations," pertained to a spiritual seed; and there- 
fore, in order to its fulfilment, there was absolute neces- 
sity that such a seed should continue unbroken to him, 
until the accomplishment of the predicted event. If the 
Gospel had been conveyed in any other manner to all 
nations, Abraham, then, could not have been instru- 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 87 

mentally their spiritual father: " That is, they which are 
the children of the flesh, these are not the children of 
God : but the children of the promise are counted for 
the seed." ver. 8. The apostle here explains what he 
had just said. " Children of the flesh," means such as 
are in a state of nature, who are not living in the exer- 
cise of faith. Many of the children of Abraham, ac- 
cording to the flesh, were rejected! God signified to 
Abraham, that the promised seed was not according to 
the flesh, when he rejected Ishmael: and the reason why 
Isaac was in the honoured line, w 7 hich should confer the 
great favour to all nations, was not merely because he 
was a child of Abraham, but on account of the piety 
which God foresaw would, and w T hich did, so pre-emi- 
nently shine forth in his life. 

Very little is known of Ishmael : but, from the fact of 
his rejection, w r e have reason to think that he was not a 
child of 'faith , and therefore could not be counted in the 
number of the promised seed. We know not at what 
he was "mocking," (Gen. xxi. 9,) which caused Sarah 
to insist upon his being sent aw T ay, but it is not unlikely 
that it was at the manifestations of piety in the lives of 
Abraham, Sarah, and their son Isaac. 

" For this is the word of promise, At this time will I 
come, and Sarah shall have a son." ver. 9. Although 
Ishmael was born unto Abraham, yet God foresaw w T hat 
his real character would be : and to perform the "pro- 
mise" which he made to Abraham, viz. that he should 
be a father of many nations, he wrought a direct miracle 
in the case of Isaac's birth ; (Gen. xviii. 11 ; Heb. xi. 12 :) 
and I have no doubt, if Isaac had not been a child of 
God by faith, another and another miracle would have 
been performed, until "the promise" had been verified. 



88 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

God, who foresaw the piety of Isaac, also foresaw the 
respective characters of Esau and Jacob : and before 
they were born, declared that the elder should serve the 
younger. The choice of God here, as in the case of 
Isaac, was not irrespective of character, but was based 
upon the fact that Jacob would have respect to the call- 
ing, and accept by faith the blessing : and so we learn 
that Esau not only despised, but sold his birthright for a 
mess of pottage, (Gen. xxv. 34,) while Jacob prevailed 
with God ! Thus God showed his omniscience, by the 
consistency of his choice : whereas, if the right of pri- 
mogeniture had been "by works," it w T ould have fallen 
upon one unworthy and unsuitable, who was without 
piety, as well as a murderer at heart. 

It appears that Isaac w T as as much in ignorance of the 
nature of the " promise," as was Abraham : but God 
intended that they should be made distinctly to under- 
stand that the seed was not according to " the flesh," or 
" of works." 

With the above agrees other portions of Paul's writings. 
In the third chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians, he 
saith : " Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, 
the same are the children of Abraham. And the scrip- 
ture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen 
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, 
saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they 
which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham." 
verses 7 — 9. And again : " And if ye be Christ's, then 
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the pro- 
mise." ver. 29. 

Before leaving the chapter which we have been con- 
sidering, (Rom. ix.) we will turn our attention more par- 
ticularly to the eleventh verse: " For the children being 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 89 

not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that 
the purpose of God according to election [Uxoyw, choice,] 
might stand not of works, but of him that calleth." God 
purposed that the seed of the woman should bruise the 
serpent's head. Gen. iii. 15. This purpose depended 
upon, and was " according to, the choice" which He was 
pleased to exercise, viz: To rescue mankind from de- 
struction. This " choice" was, if I may so speak, the 
foundation stone, upon which the whole superstructure 
of the plan of salvation was reared. 

'.E*Aoyu, which we would render choice, should ever be 
distinguished from Ix^sxtos, (elected.) The latter, as was 
intimated on a previous occasion, alludes to Christians — 
to those who close in with the offers of salvation : while 
the former involves in its signification an independent 
act of the mind to do a thing, simply because it is the 
will or pleasure of the being by whom it is exercised. 
It does not suppose any obligation necessary or compul- 
sory: for instance, fallen man had no claim whatever 
upon the mercy of God ; he had broken the law, and 
merited death, but Mercy chose to interfere, and to rescue 
him from condemnation, by opening before him the way 
of life. So with man: he is not necessarily compelled 
to choose or accept the merciful provisions of the Gospel, 
although they are absolutely necessary for his present 
and eternal happiness. When any become Christians, it 
is because they choose to comply with the offers of sal- 
vation, as in the case of the Thessalonians. Paul says, 
when writing to them, " We give thanks to God always 
for you all, .... remembering without ceasing your work 

of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope, 

knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God" 
1 Thess. i. 4 ; or, more strictly rendered, it reads : know- 

h2 



90 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

ing, brethren beloved, under God your choice, {tori 0ioD 
tJjv IxKoyriv vpuv.) The fruits of piety above mentioned, 
were so many proofs to Paul, that they had chosen to 
turn "from idols, to serve the true and living God," 
ver. 9; and immediately afterwards, he imputes their 
choice in a great degree to his own faithfulness : "For," 
he adds, " our gospel came not unto you in word only, 
but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, . . . . as ye 
know what manner of men we were among you for your 
sake. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord." 
verses 5, 6. Let all ministers of the Gospel remember, 
that the choice of those among whom they labour, 
depends in a great degree upon their own faithfulness. 

Again, w 7 hat God hath chosen to perform will most 
undoubtedly be accomplished. Paul was "a chosen 
vessel," (axivo<; IxAoyS?,) to bear the name of the Lord 
" before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Is- 
rael." Acts ix. 15. Therefore he says, "For though I 
preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for neces- 
sity is laid upon me." 1 Cor. ix. 16. In like manner, God 
chose Saul and David to be kings of Israel, 1 Sam. ix. 
15 — 17 ; xvi. 12, and Jonah to preach to the Ninevites. 

We will now pass over to the eleventh chapter of Ro- 
mans. The fifth verse thus reads : " Even so then at the 
present time also, there is a remnant according to the 
election, [exAoyu?, choice,] of grace. The "seven thou- 
sand" (ver. 4,) which had not bowed the knee to Baal, 
were such as had respect to the righteousness of faith, 
and consequently, were a remnant according to the choice 
which God was pleased to extend towards the human 
family. And as it was in that dark period of the Jewish 
history, so has it been during every period of the history 
of the world; at least, since the days of Abraham, there 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 91 

have always been » a remnant according to the choice of 
grace," or, as it may very properly be rendered, " on 
account of the choice of grace." (xar IxXoyw x^ 170 *-) 
For if God had not chosen to institute a plan of salvation 
for the restoration of fallen man, there could never have 
been even a remnant of the human family which could 
have been saved. 

In the sixth verse Paul takes occasion to show, that 
man is saved, either by grace, or of works. " And if by 
grace, then it is no more of works ; otherwise, grace is 
no more grace. But if it is of works, then it is no more 
of grace, otherwise, work is no more w T ork." He leaves 
his hearers to draw the inference. The matter was per- 
fectly plain : if God saves us by His grace," then w T e are 
not in the least saved by our works. He who is saved 
" according (or on account) of the choice of grace," is 
precluded from supposing that there is any merit in the 
obedience which he renders. Independent of grace, it is 
utterly impossible for any man to be saved, however dili- 
gent he may be in performing good works. 

" What then ? Israel [the nation of Israel] hath not ob- 
tained that which he seeketh for ; but the election \la7\oyri, 
choice,'] hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." 
ver. 7. The Jew T s, truly sought the favour of God ; but 
while they thought themselves His favourites, they w T ere 
under a gross delusion : they had not respect to " the 
righteousness w 7 hich is by faith." At the time when the 
apostle wrote this epistle, the Gentiles, whom the Jews 
thought had no claim to the favour of God, obtained it : 
— but the choice hath obtained it. God chose to save all 
mankind — both the Jew T and the Gentile; and all who 
comply with the conditions of salvation, become " chil- 
dren of God" — a spiritual seed — a remnant , according to 



92 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

the choice of grace ; while « the rest," or, the remainder 
of the whole, of which "the remnant" is but a part, are 
wilfully blinded or hardened to their best interests by re- 
fusing to accept of the free offer of salvation through Jesus 
Christ. It is very evident, that the Jews had no greater 
claim to the choice of God than the Gentiles. Their being 
more highly favoured, was a natural consequence of the 
piety of those, from whom they were descended. 

Although, to a casual observer, it might appear from 
the language of this verse, that the remainder that were 
blinded, were not included in the choice; yet, w r e are not 
left in any doubt as to their being thus included, although 
they have not obtained the grace of God, so freely ten- 
dered to them : for, in the twenty-eighth verse, Paul says, 
"As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your 
sakes : but as touching the election [xccto, $1 tw lahoynv, on 
account of the choice,] they are beloved for the fathers' 
sake." In this verse, the Jews are declared to be ene- 
mies, for the Gentiles' sake : if it had not been so, it is 
likely that the Gospel would not have been preached unto 
them. The Jews would neither enter themselves, nor 
suffer others to go into the kingdom of heaven ; yet, on 
account of the choice, they are beloved for the fathers'* salce. 
That is, although « enemies," God having chosen to save 
the world by the vicarious sacrifice of His Son ; they, as 
descended from the fathers of the human family, and es- 
pecially from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, " are belov- 
ed." In this sense, all " enemies" are beloved, whether 
Jew or Gentile. God is « not willing that any should 
perish, but that all should come to repentance." 

The nation of Israel, instead of being " enemies," 
might have remained friends, if they had observed to 
perform their duty to themselves, and to the Gentile 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 93 

world. They became enemies, by resisting the will of 
God. Who will pretend to say, that these enemies, al- 
though beloved on account of the choice, could be saved 
without obtaining that righteousness which is by faith ! 
And if " there is none other name under heaven given 
among men, whereby we must be saved," but the name 
of Jesus Christ — if, <5 without the shedding of blood, 
there is no remission of sins ;" how can they be saved, 
who will not go to Him, who alone can give them life ? 
— Who count " the blood of the covenant .... an unholy 
thing ?" We must come to the conclusion, that all those 
enemies, who have died out of Christ, were consigned 
to endure an eternal banishment from His presence ; al- 
though as touching the choice, they were, and are "be- 
loved for the fathers' sake." Thus, we have a standing 
proof, that many, who on account of the choice are beloved, 
have died, and are still dying " enemies :" and there- 
fore, if saved, they must be subdued to Christ, after they 
have passed from time into eternity. 

The next verse (ver. 29,) throws additional light on 
the whole subject. "For the gifts and calling of God 
are without repentance." This explains the reason why 
the Gentiles, who in times past, were in unbelief, had 
the offers of salvation extended to them; and also, why 
the Jews became enemies : they vainly supposed, that 
"the gifts and calling of God" were exclusively design- 
ed for themselves, instead of being graciously intended 
for the whole human family. In a perfectly natural man- 
ner we are brought down to the conclusion to which the 
apostle leads us, viz. "For God hath concluded all in 
unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all." ver. 32. 
No wonder that he thus bursts forth with fervent ardour 
and admiring gratitude : " O ! the depth of the riches, both 



94 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable 
are His judgments, and His ways past finding out !" 

The only remaining instance in the New Testament of 
the use of the word fxAoyu, (choice,) is found in 2 Pet i. 
10 : " Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to 
make your calling and election [sxXoyw, choice,] sure." If 
being called and chosen, made it infallibly certain, that such 
could not become cast-aways ; w T hy the necessity of thus 
cautioning them ? In this passage of scripture, the apostle 
holds forth the consequence of fidelity : viz. an abundant 
entrance into the eternal (uluviov) kingdom of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ: (ver. 11.) and inferentially 
warns Christians to avoid the bitter pains of eternal death. 

The last passage which w r e will notice, as particularly 
treating on the extent of salvation, is found in 1 Tim. iv. 
10 : " We both labour, and suffer reproach, because w r e 
trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, 
specially of them that believe." If our Lord saves all 
men, can any finally be lost ? A conclusive commentary 
upon this verse, will be found by reference to another 
verse similarly constructed. " As we have, therefore, op- 
portunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto 
them who are of the household of faith." Gal. vi. 10. 

After having, as we think, shown from the word of 
God that there is no ground for supposing that the state 
of punishment beyond the grave is strictly everlasting, 
and having noticed the uniform testimony of those pas- 
sages which particularly treat on the subject of salvation : 
before leaving the subject, we would here add, that it is 
"generally received by the Jews, that every Jew shall 
have a share in the world to come, but that such as have 
lived ill must be purged, before they arrive at it"* It is 

* Burnet on the XXXIX Articles, p. 291. 



THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 95 

highly probable that this belief was always prevalent 
among them ; and as they imagined that the promises 
concerning the world to come, were exclusively intended 
for themselves, the inference is, that if they had not been 
under a delusion, they would have perceived that salva- 
tion was strictly universal, embracing the Gentile world 
as well as themselves : but, however that may have been, 
of this we are assured, that until the time of our Saviour, 
"the vail" was upon the heart of the whole Jewish 
nation. 2 Cor. hi. 13 — 16. They did not understand 
"the mystery," which had been kept secret from them. 
Rom. xvi. 25. They knew not the hidden wisdom which 
God had ordained before the ages or eternities, and 
which was first revealed by his spirit unto the disciples 
of our Lord and Saviour. 1 Cor. ii. 7 — 10. To under- 
stand the whole plan of salvation, we must look to the 
apostles, who were fully instructed in the glorious work 
of redemption, and not to those who were under the vail, 
and whose conceptions of the plans and purposes of the 
Almighty were necessarily so indistinct. 

The wish of Paul, that he might be accursed from 
Christ, for his brethren and kinsmen according to the 
flesh, (Rom. ix. 3,) is a perfect anomaly, unless under 
the supposition that he believed that all w 7 ere ultimately 
to be made alive in Christ. If indeed such was his 
belief, this otherwise difficult passage is easily explained. 
Like another Saviour, to his expanded soul, the joy set 
before him of saving his beloved nation, would have 
been sufficient to stimulate him to endure an eternal 
banishment from the presence of God! 

Again, it has excited much surprise that the learned 
Origen, who flourished in the early part of the third cen- 
tury, should have believed that " after a number of years, 



96 THE EXTENT OF SALVATION. 

the damned should be released from their torments, and 
made partakers of the joys of heaven :"* but is it not 
rather surprising that the Church should ever have be- 
lieved otherwise, when we are so distinctly informed, 
that as by one man's disobedience the many+vtere made 
sinners, even so. by the obedience of one shall the many 
be made righteous ? 

Lastly, the tenet of purgatory, even in the midst of 
Babylon, where it is used for purposes of gain, stands 
forth as a monument of antiquity ; attesting the truth of 
the doctrine just considered, and which we believe was 
universally received by the primitive church. 

In conclusion, the author would beg leave to say, that 
in a number of instances, and especially in the foregoing 
part of this treatise, he has rendered the Greek words, alv* 
and aiding, eternity and eternal, for the following reasons : 
first, because the readers of the English version of the 
scriptures have been accustomed to hear them similarly 
rendered : and secondly, by adopting this method, and 
following the usual and only proper mode of interpreta- 
tion, he thought it would show more distinctly that the 
common acceptation of their meaning is erroneous : for 
instance, if a word in the singular number is rendered 
for ever, eternal, and everlasting, there can be no reason 
why the same word, or words when found in the plural 
number, should not be rendered with a plural significa- 
tion : for example, if I*s to* alum may be properly trans- 
latedjfor ever, or, which amounts to the same thing, to 
eternity, it is also proper to translate Sis tc»s aluvatq 9 unto 
the eternities. 

* Pearson on the Creed, p. 581. 
THE END. 



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